Non-violent direct action

Martin Luther King was a Christian minister who became a leading advocate of non-violent direct action. He wanted campaigners to confront injustice through peaceful marches, sit-ins and boycotts rather than retaliatory violence. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, or SCLC, helped organise these campaigns and supported efforts to increase Black voter registration.

Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) used non-violent direct action to challenge these barriers. Marches and other peaceful protests made injustice visible. When police attacked demonstrators who were not fighting back, newspaper photographs and television coverage could turn a local dispute into a national issue.

King championed non-violent direct action: actively resisting injustice without attacking opponents. This was not simply waiting patiently for change. Refusing to use the buses challenged segregation while maintaining a disciplined public campaign.