1/ The Path of Non-violence: Thoughts on MLK Day 2021.

2/ Justifiably, most folks think of MLK as a defender of Black freedom and human dignity. Very true, but it's also important to remember that MLK was America's most prominent and successful practitioner of non-violence.

3/ Remembering his non-violence is important because race relations in the US have been defined by extreme levels of violance. Slavery, Civil War, Jim Crow, lynchings, and much more.

4/ Proposing that a social movement be built around non-violence must have seemed delusional at the time. But he stuck with it for two very big reasons.

5/ First, non-violence is surprisingly effective and low cost. Ever since non-violence emerged in the early 1900s, we've seen it successfully applied in India, the US and elsewhere. It's low cost in that the level of injury and death is lower than violence.

6/ Second, violence is unethical and this was a big issue for King. He was a committed Christian and that means that everyone is valued, even those who used violence against him. Thus, if there is a way to do social change without violence, it should be pursued.

7/ These days, non-violence seems antiquated. Many intellectuals have seen King's movement as a failure. We've also seen people excuse violence and riots over the past year. For many, non-violence is a message quickly forgotten.

8/ Not me. Every time I drink from a public water fountain I am grateful to King and all the men and women who put their lives on the line in non-violent social actions.

9/ Bottom line: King's non-violence is not a cute story we tell kids every January. It's a powerful ethical vision and social change strategy. Without it, our history would be more savagery and less reform.