Kingian Nonviolence
“At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Final Marching Orders
On April 4, 1968, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was planning his day at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee, he offered some words to his young associate, Bernard Lafayette, who was getting ready to leave for the airport: “Now Bernard, the next movement we’re going to have is to institutionalize and internationalize nonviolence.” Bernard expected to continue this conversation at a later time, but tragically he would never have the opportunity. As Bernard landed in D.C. later that day, he received news that his friend and mentor was assassinated. From that moment up until this very day, Dr. Lafayette (“Doc”) has taken those last words at the Lorraine Motel as King’s “Final Marching Orders.”
Our Executive Director, Rev. Angelo Mante, with Dr. Bernard Lafayette. June 2019, Selma, Alabama.
Years after Dr. King’s assassination, Doc teamed up with fellow Civil Rights activist Dr. David Jehnsen to co-author the Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation Curriculum. This particular approach to nonviolence has wide application, from reconciling family and interpersonal conflicts, to resolving conflicts between groups, to addressing conflict on larger, societal levels.
As our friend Kazu Haga writes,
Forty-five years after Dr. King spoke about his vision for his next movement, this philosophy has taken root in institutions around the world. In Bella Vista Prison in Colombia, youth are trained in nonviolence by the prison inmates. Tens of thousands of militants in Nigeria are turning in their arms after being trained in nonviolence as part of a government amnesty program. Chicago’s North Lawndale College Prep High School has seen a 90-percent reduction in violence over four years, which began with a 70-percent reduction during the first year it invested in Kingian Nonviolence. As successful as this program has been in reducing and preventing violence in communities riddled with conflict, it has also found success in social change movements.
Alive is a certified Kingian Nonviolence organization, grounded in the philosophy that shaped Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement. Our staff has been trained directly in this lineage by leaders including Dr. Lafayette and Dr. Jehnsen, carrying forward a living tradition of nonviolent thought and practice.
What began in 2020 as a commitment to train others in the way of nonviolence has become the foundation of everything we do. Kingian Nonviolence is not simply a conflict-resolution strategy. It is a way of life rooted in agape love, courageous truth-telling, disciplined action, and the relentless pursuit of Beloved Community.
Over the past several years, this philosophy has shaped thousands of conversations, trained hundreds of leaders, and formed young people and adults alike in the skills necessary to interrupt cycles of violence and transform conflict without humiliation or harm.
Kingian Nonviolence is not passive. It is active, strategic, and transformative. It calls us beyond reaction and into redemptive action.
The Six Principles of Kingian Nonviolence form the foundation of this philosophy and guide every aspect of our work. They are outlined on the next page.
1
Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
Nonviolence is more than merely the absence of violence; it is a positive force confronting the forces of injustice and conflicts at every level. We would argue that violence is often easier and takes less courage than nonviolence. The path of reconciliation is a lifelong journey that takes tremendous commitment and courage.
2
The Beloved Community is the framework for the future.
Nonviolence is about working toward a reconciled world by raising the level of relationships among people to a height where justice prevails and persons attain their full human potential. Nonviolence doesn’t ultimately seek victories over this or that person, or this or that group; rather, Beloved Community includes all persons and groups living and working together in harmony.
3
Attack forces of evil not persons who are doing evil.
Nonviolence helps one analyze the fundamental conditions, policies, and practices of the conflict rather than reacting to one’s opponents or their personalities. By channeling our aggression toward problems while maintaining conciliation toward people, nonviolence helps us to get to the heart of conflicts and address problems at the root.
4
Accept suffering without retaliation for the sake of the cause to achieve a goal.
Sometimes we must be committed to doing the right thing, even when it’s difficult or causes us to suffer in some way. This self-chosen suffering can even be redemptive by showing those around us another way and by inspiring them to follow our example. While nonviolence does sometimes require this self-chosen suffering, it’s important to note that the suffering ultimately produced by violence is far greater. There is no easy path to change or reconciliation.
5
Avoid internal violence of the spirit as well as external physical violence.
Violence is in the very air we breathe, and if we’re not careful, it will consume our spirits. We must commit to working on our own pain and trauma, while engaging in activities to help us and our people maintain a high level of spirit and morale. In order to be effective peacemakers in our families and communities, we must first cultivate peace within our own spirits.
6
The universe is on the side of Justice.
Human society and each human being is oriented to the just sense of order of the universe. The fundamental values in all the world’s religions include the concept that the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice. As an organization rooted in the Christian Gospel, we maintain that God is good and just and that we are moving toward an ultimate reality of a fully reconciled world. This hope and faith keeps us marching toward the everlasting horizon of peace, justice, and reconciliation.