Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) is known for his central, galvanizing role in the American civil rights movement and for his compelling calls for justice and equality, pleas that challenged the country to live up to its democratic ideals. He is also recognized for developing the philosophical underpinnings of his nonviolent activism. His speeches and writings often had a religious flavor (he was a minister and the son and grandson of a minister), but he directed his arguments to the religious and nonreligious alike and appealed to what he took to be universal values. He alluded to biblical stories and metaphors while citing the moral courage and insight of Socrates, Aquinas, and Augustine. He was inspired by the work and words of Gandhi, the modern world's greatest and most successful practitioner of nonviolent activism, and he in turn inspired future generations who would seek social change through peaceful means.
-King says that nonviolent resistance is not a method for cowards.