Divided US Needs MLK's Non-Violent Social Justice Principles

The recent riot in our nation’s capital is a clear warning that America is moving down a road of divisiveness and violence. Nor has the Inaugural put an end to the tension, with some lawmakers arguing that they need protection from each other on the House floor.

In the past year, Americans witnessed a global health pandemic, a costly economic shutdown, multiple foreign policy crises, a bitter presidential election, and angry political differences that split communities, friends, and even families. Many people complain that we never have been so divided.

But a half century ago the nation was convulsed by disputes rooted in the Civil War. Long after being freed from slavery, African-Americans were still fighting for their civil and political rights.

Peaceful protestors and organizers across the South were sometimes greeted by deadly violence. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. The Democratic National Conventional turned into a battleground.

Yet America came through that difficult time. Finding answers to today’s deep-seated problems may be no easier, but we should look back to the 1960s for guidance.