Published in 1963 - the defining year of the civil rights movement - it's a masterpiece manifesto on the power of love, tolerance, forgiveness and reconciliation. "Non-violent resistance combines tough-mindedness and tender-heartedness: avoiding the complacency and do-nothingness of the soft-minded, and the violence, bitterness and corroding hatred of the hard-hearted." Peaceful protesters hope this national tragedy can be an opportunity for change, yet their vital call for racial justice in America threatens to be drowned out by riots and violence. Their "common enemy" form of identity politics is a warped inverse of King's "common humanity" brand, which made him the most successful civil rights leader in history, a martyr who died for his cause. "A big element is shaming people, which is not the goal of any social movement.

Source: Irish Independent June 14, 2020 23:15 UTC