MLK and Non-Violence

    Martin Luther King Jr. was a well-known advocate for civil rights in the US. In the late 1950's he inspired many people to fight against segregation through non-violent practices inspired from Christian beliefs as well as Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violent practices. King's encouragement of non-violence during segregation succeeded in ending the segregation of black and white people in public areas, and still serves as an inspiration to many people today. However, his philosophy of non-violence is not a prominent anymore and it seems as if he is now only remembered for his accomplishments in the past. There are still inequities in society between people of different races and skin colors, not necessarily just white and black people. Segregation still exists, though not legally, and is more of a social construct. Given past successes with similar situations, King's philosophy and practices of non-violence should yield similar results if properly implemented into society. However, violence seems to be the most prominent solution to racial issues as it yields more dramatic results. Recently, after the incident with George Floyd, riots broke out, with people demanding an end to police brutality, but they resulted in about 1 to 2 billion dollars in property damage. While the riots did get vast media coverage, their message was lost in the amount of damage caused to the cities. If King's ideas and practices were re-evaluated and used in the current situation, more positive results would come about and convey the true message of the inequality of how police treat people based on race and skin color. King's ideas promote the concept of equity and inclusiveness showing that all people are created equal, no matter where their ancestry lies or how they look. By using non-violent practices, people can bring out the good in each other.

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