Today, the nation observes the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. King was the great practitioner of non-violent and peaceful protest. His philosophy became the backbone of the civil rights movement. But in recent decades, even supposedly peaceful protests have become tinged with violence. This hour, is non-violent resistance dead? After September 11th, the voices calling for a non-military response were almost entirely absent. Peaceful demonstrations like the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle frequently turn violent. Does the message of Martin Luther King resonate at all in today’s world?

Guests:

Bernard Lafayette, Director of The University of Rhode Island’s Center for Non-Violence and Peace;
David Garrow, author of the Pulitzer Prize biography “Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference”;
Leroy Rouner, Professor of Philosophy, Religion and Philosophical Theology, Boston University