The transformative power of nonviolent action

On Monday, Jan. 15, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.

To pay tribute to Dr. King’s legacy, the UW Tacoma Black Student Union will host our 16th annual Unity Breakfast, featuring A’ric Jackson and alumna Courtney Acoff, ’10. We will gather on this day for a memorable morning filled with inspiring speakers, live dance performances, and — most meaningfully — a welcoming community striving to attain Dr. King's dream.

Dr. King’s work, words and ways of pursuing social change remain relevant — even urgently needed.

We have witnessed the increasingly blatant use of violence and threats in service of political and ideological agendas. Dr. King’s nonviolent civil resistance, which provides a path to redemption and reconciliation, serves as a counterpoint to toxic public discourse in the struggle for reconciliation and equity.

Nonviolent civil resistance rests on the assumption of civic responsibility. Now, all too often individuals hide behind the cloak of digital anonymity, rather than fully embracing and owning actions taken in the civic arena, whether in real life or online.

In contrast, as a university we proudly embrace our role to foster engaged and responsible citizenship among our students, faculty and staff. As Huskies, we live into our values of integrity and respect — both essential in the practice of nonviolent civic engagement geared toward enacting change.

Dr. King, in his essay ‘Pilgrimage to Nonviolence’ (1960), describes the empowerment and transformation possible for all involved in nonviolent action:

“So the nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect; it calls up resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had. Finally, it reaches the opponent and so stirs his conscience that reconciliation becomes a reality”.

On this day in which we pay tribute to Dr. King’s legacy and values, let us be unapologetic and passionate in our nonviolence. Let our hearts and souls be stirred, as we find new strength and courage to build the just and equitable world Dr. King envisioned.