Non-Violent Foot Soldiers

Non-Violent Foot Soldiers. March Route to Government. The central principle of the American Civil Rights Movement was non-violence, based on the strategies of Mahatma Gandhi, who led India's independence struggle against the British Empire. Being non-violent did not mean being passive. Using "direct action," protesters aggressively disobeyed unfair segregation laws. This put them on a collision course with the White establishment that refused to change. Protesters were trained to resist, yet not fight violence with violence. They believed that God's divine power and the U.S. Constitution were on their side. They put their beliefs to the test on Birmingham's streets. , April 6, 1963 , Those who participated in the marches and other demonstrations in the Birmingham Campaign agreed to a pledge of nonviolence. A few of the "Ten Commandments" of the pledge were: "Meditate daily on the teaching and life of Jesus. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation - not victory. Refrain from the violence of the fist, tongue and heart." After protesters knelt to pray in the streets, they were arrested. Here they quietly line-up to get into the paddy wagon to be carted off to jail for "disorderly conduct." , "At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love." , Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lesson A3: Study the non-violent strategies pioneered by Indian philosopher Mahatma Gandi.