A History of Non-Violence

Tonight on the Front Porch, we look at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy through a discussion on civil disobedience. We'll explore the roots and evolution of non-violent action with Peter Somssich of Amnesty International local chapter 550 on the Seacoast. We'll talk about how 1960s civil rights activists embraced the tactics of Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi and made them their own. We'll also find out how non-violent action is being used today in emerging democracies around the world.

Also, we'll hear from Taylor and Bessie Rogers, who were present when MLK gave his famous "I've been to the Mountaintop" speech, the last speech that King gave before his assaszination. That piece comes to us from Storycorpz, by way of The Public Radio Exchange. You can click here to listen to the story again and to comment on it at the PRX website.

And former Presidential Primary candidate Reverend Al Sharpton recalls what Dr. King taught him about the importance of the media to the civil rights movement.

TONIGHT'S SONG: "Don't Forget the Marching", by Seacoast musician Lillian Buckley. It's off her album Utterance.