Jessica Gray

What do the salt tax in India at the beginning of the 20th century and the bus system in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1960s have in common? Both represented unfair, entrenched forces in government and society. Separated by an ocean, religion, and a few decades, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. decided that by resisting these everyday manifestations of injustice, they could effect widespread societal change. And, after many different protests, they did. Instead of reacting with violence to overthrow long-established patterns in society, their strategy was simple. They turned the other cheek. The path of nonviolence was blazed by Gandhi, and King deliberately followed the path that Gandhi had set, especially since King's religion, upbringing, and conscience also dictated that the only acceptable approach was peaceful. As you will learn, Gandhi fought for Indian independence from Britain, the elimination of the caste system, women's rights, and more until his death -- all while wearing his characteristic shawl, going on frequent self-purification fasts, and eating a modest vegetarian diet. Today, we often vent frustration with society via Facebook posts and Twitter hashtags, and we wonder if wrong but established ways of doing things will ever be fixed. Gandhi's peaceful but change-making actions, from sit-ins to marches, remind us that fighting injustice is possible. -- (1/4/2017 12:00:00 AM)

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