"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Throughout history, human rights violations have plagued
our earth. From the persecution of Christians in the
Roman Empire, to genocide in Rwanda, to the quality
of education in the inner cities, diverse peoples have
struggled to survive in a world often filled with fear
and hatred. The problem is evident. Without a universal
respect for human rights, the world cannot achieve peace.
Violations of our inherent rights represent an absence
of value and respect for human life. Our peace heroes
are those individuals who have expressed a sincere compassion
to alleviate the sufferings of others. Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. is such a peace hero. He led a heroic mission
to educate, awaken and revolutionize the American people
to fight the injustices inflicted upon African Americans.
But, like Gandhi, he fought the injustices with love,
respect, and non-violent protest.
Born on January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was
not a stranger to racial discrimination. The democratic
liberal values promised to the American citizen were
shadowed and debased by racial inequalities. In the
late 1950s, segregation in schools, lunch counters and
other public facilities was prevalent. Furthermore,
African Americans did not have the right to vote and
were denied many economic opportunities enjoyed by others.
Raised in a society engulfed by oppression and humiliation,
King believed that he had a social and moral responsibility
to educate the nation about the evils of racism.
With a Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University, King
encouraged his believers to participate in a non-violent
mission to achieve those freedoms constitutionally guaranteed
to each and every individual. On December 1, 1955, Rosa
Parks boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and refused
to move to the back for a white passenger. Her subsequent
arrest rallied King and his followers to begin a surge
of boycotts. Inspired by the success of the Montgomery
boycotts, other movements began spreading, protesting
racial discrimination across the South. These movements
became the heart of King's non-violent crusade for peace.
King's peace mission followed the lessons taught by
other peace heroes such as Mahatma Gandhi. His technique
was known as a non-violent resistance, using love, prayer,
and speech as direct action against physical violence.
King taught love instead of hate, kindness instead of
aggression. The act of nonviolent resistance displayed
the protester's courageous will to bring peace and dignity
to the nation.
King's nonviolent pledge for peace is unique, because
in the past heroes were often those who used violence
to fight injustice. When his house was bombed, he preached
"We're going to fight but not kill." When
600 members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, they were
attacked by state troopers, trampled by horses, and
many were hospitalized. When King heard of the events
on March 7, 1965, Bloody Sunday, he called for another
march on City Hall. They were stopped again by the state
troopers, and to avoid arrest King and marchers knelt
and prayed. As a peace hero, King fought his oppressors
with a higher conscience.
Throughout his life, King played a vital role in achieving
significant gains for humanity. From the desegregation
of schools and other public facilities, to the acceleration
of civil rights as a government priority, his peace
mission was a success. In 1964, at the young age of
35, King was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his accomplishments.
King's legacy offers a hope that someday racism might
be replaced with love and respect for human rights.
