Transcript

SANJEEV BHASKAR

What was it that made Dr. King choose non-violence?

BRYAN STEVENSON

Dr. King and those who had lived through this knew that if they gave away the most precious commodity we had, which was this understanding that justice can prevail. To give that away would be to give away the power, and so he said, we can't do that, we can't be violent, we can't react to violence with violence, we can't hate.

SANJEEV BHASKAR

But I understand he went to India in the 1950s. And he met with Gandhi's relatives I think, how much of an impact was that on what he was doing?

BRYAN STEVENSON

He understood that the power of overcoming injustice was rooted in a hopefulness, he just didn't know how you implement it. And I think what Gandhi did was very influential, in creating a consciousness that, that was achievable in the face of great oppression in the face of great might, and power that might be utilised to destroy what you're trying to do.