Last month I had the honor of speaking alongside Dr. Aaron Bryant, museum curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai.
In his talk, Dr. Bryant pointed out that Gandhi helped shape Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of nonviolence. After my own talk, during the Q&A that followed with both of us, I realized a connection I hadn’t seen before.
Since the Kural is one of the key works that nourished Gandhi’s thinking, there is thus a hidden thread between the Kural, Martin Luther King, Jr., and ways of resisting violence and oppression peacefully and powerfully.
You can read more about the talk in this article from the Times of India:
You can also watch the TN Talk with Dr. Aaron Bryant and myself on the Anna Centenary Library YouTube Channel:
- Dr. Bryant’s talk begins at 6:32
- My talk begins at 26:50
- The joint Q&A begins at 48:28
May we all find ways to dream and act with integrity and grace, even in trying times.
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