Dr. Martin Luther King's Nonviolent Resistance

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was, by far, one of the most influential leaders in modern United States history. His extraordinary life was one filled with perseverance, passion, and devotion to a cause he believed so strongly in. There are very few who could even fathom going through the pain and toil Dr. King endured to get their point across. He was an altruistic individual who strove to better the lives of all people.

In Dr. King’s first book, Stride Toward Freedom, he describes his journey to understanding the concept and value of nonviolent resistance. King wrote that nonviolent resistance was a “courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love” (King, Stride, 80). Upon reading Thoreau’s Essay on Civil Disobedience, Dr. King became
The foundations of Dr. King’s nonviolent resistance were six key principles. First, nonviolence is “a way of life for courageous people”. Rather than an aggressive physical confrontation, Dr. King championed for an intensive spiritual and mental approach. Second, the heart of nonviolence seeks out to win the heart of the opponent. By earning the friendship of an individual, Dr. King believed that one could win him over without humiliating him and create a close-knit community of like-minded individuals. Third, and perhaps the cornerstone of nonviolence, the evil itself should be resisted, not the people. Dr. King stressed the importance of attacking ideas, such as racism and discrimination, with ideas, such as love and compassion. Fourth, a nonviolent resister must be prepared to suffer without retaliation. Underneath the pain of suffering lies the possibility of educating the public and further winning the hearts of the evildoers.
King’s notions of nonviolence. First, those who wish to combat this evil must do so with the right mindset. We must maintain the moral, spiritual, and mental high ground. Second, we must attempt to befriend and win over the hearts of those discriminating against minorities. Instead of shaming and humiliating real estate agents who carry out these racist practices, we as resisters must get to know individual real estate agents and treat them with the utmost respect while still pushing for our cause. Third, the root of this issue, racism, should be resisted, not the real estate agents. For example, public awareness seminars and community relations projects can be carried out in order to deteriorate the foundations of racism. Fourth, we must be prepared to suffer. Although we will not face the trials and tribulations that Dr. King faced, change is often initially not well-received. We must prepare ourselves emotionally for any and all ridicule that we may face as a result of our push for racial equality. Fifth, we should not hold hatred in our hearts. Fighting racism with a bitter, negative perspective is fruitless. However, as Dr. King has proven, fighting racism with a sincere love in our hearts will result in change. Finally, we must persevere. We must understand that change does not come immediately, and it may be a long uphill battle. More importantly, however, we must understand that the universe is on the side