Martin L. King

Thirsty for more belief on nonviolence, Dr. King traveled to Philadelphia to hear a speech given by Dr. Mordecai Johnson. In the speech Dr. Johnson shared his experiences of the life and teaching of Mohandas Gandhi. It was from that speech that King developed a love for Gandhi. The philosophies and teachings of Gandhi through books of his life and teachings inspired King.
             King was so impress by Gandhi's work that he was motivated to stop the discrimination and violence that was going on. But Dr. King remembered that he was not living in a peaceful world. There was violence and hatred going on between the whites and black because of the color of their skin. Martin Luther King Jr. saw "nonviolence as both the philosophical and theological basis of his commitment to social change- (Carson).
             The movement of nonviolence seemed to taking its place in America during the time of Dr. King. In Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to "vacate her seat and move to the rear of a city bus to make way for a white passenger- (internet), leading to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. At this time, King became the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association at a Baptist church. King saw that his people were getting tired of being treated like animals and he was ready for a change. One of the first changes came when the Supreme Court declared Alabama's segregation laws as unconstitutional, and Montgomery buses were desegregated. The Montgomery City Lines was then open to full service on all routes and King was the first passenger to ride. .
             Dr. King wrote the book Stride Toward Freedom, a memoir of the Montgomery bus boycott. Living through that experience of nonviolence became more than just a method toward him. It was King's experience in Montgomery that "solidified his adherence to the philosophy of nonviolence- (Carson). After that, he wanted direct nonviolent actions for blacks in America.