Final answer:
Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolence philosophy was inspired by Mohandas Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, and A. Philip Randolph, embodied in his 'soul force' doctrine and detailed in his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail.' King's steadfast commitment to nonviolent protest was a principled stand for justice, challenging racial inequality without resorting to violence, with his legacy enduring beyond his 1968 assassination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence was deeply influenced by the teachings of Mohandas Gandhi, Henry David Thoreau, and A. Philip Randolph. This approach, which King termed as "soul force," emphasized nonviolent protest and civil disobedience as central to the Civil Rights Movement, a stance consolidated during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and thereafter as the leading tactic of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). King's nonviolent method was not merely a strategy but a principled belief, drawing from the moral conviction that only nonviolence could achieve just and lasting change through love, understanding, and a collective quest for truth and justice.
King's commitment to nonviolence was further highlighted in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," where he articulated the moral urgency of nonviolent resistance in the face of racial injustice. Even in the context of internal pressure following the rights march to Jackson and the subsequent challenges from more militant figures within the Civil Rights Movement, King staunchly advocated for nonviolence, understanding its power to include whites in the movement and ensure nonthreatening progress toward racial equality.
King's assassination in 1968 unfortunately showcased the fragile state of nonviolence in the movement, as reactionary violence in inner-city neighborhoods highlighted the ongoing struggle between King's vision and the realities faced by many African Americans. Nonetheless, King's legacy of nonviolent resistance continues to inspire movements for social change around the world, serving as an enduring model for achieving reform without violence.