Understanding King’s Nonviolence

Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash

Every Martin Luther King Day, there’s a chasm between the “I Have A Dream” public remembrance and the more complicated, scholarly history. The media and the public like simplicity, ignoring the reality that people change and are flawed and inconsistent. Even our heroes operate in a politically charged world where many considerations are in play. King’s significance stems from his combination of idealism and pragmatism in the use of nonviolence.

When Dr. King first came to prominence leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56), he had only a limited knowledge of nonviolence. In some respects, his wife, Coretta, an anti-war activist while at college, was the more knowledgeable. When a proven nonviolent practitioner, William Worthy, came to visit the Kings in Montgomery, he recalls almost sitting on a pistol that had been left on a chair. When King preached nonviolence to his congregation at Dexter Avenue, he most often cited the New Testament to establish its Christian credentials.

Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, AL. The George F. Landegger Collection of Alabama Photographs in Carol M. Highsmith’s America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

In the wake of bomb attacks on King’s home in Montgomery, there were armed guards outside. King applied for a concealed carry permit which was turned down by the local sheriff; not long after, in February 1956, he told…