Students agree that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a challenging figure to emulate because his nonviolent philosophy is a difficult one to put into practice.
Adrian Jackson, a Philadelphia student and activist, called nonviolence "the ultimate in humility, because it forces you to accept the violence that may be done against you."
However, for Timothy Sams, nonviolence is not just a philosophy, it is the best way he knows to affect change.
Sams, assistant dean and director of the Black Cultural Center at Swarthmore University, led a workshop on nonviolent leadership yesterday evening as part of Penn's Martin Luther King, Jr. 2004 Commemorative Symposium.
Leading a discussion that included approximately 15 Penn students, staff, faculty and other residents of Philadelphia, Sams explained that "nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people."
The purpose of nonviolence, he said, is reconciliation and community. Because of this, nonviolence must use means consistent with this aim.
"Nonviolence accepts violence if necessary in the course of achieving a goal, but will never inflict it," he said.
Students seemed to connect with the message.
College sophomore Arlene Fernandez, who is also involved with La Casa Latina, said that nonviolence was useful for student activists because it "reminds those involved that [student activists] don't want conflict, [they] want resolution."
And according to Sams, non-violence is an important value for students who are interested in changing their colleges and universities.
"Students can change higher education," Sams said. "They can change their environments, and this is an effective way to do that."
Still, he cautioned, "Don't ever use nonviolence without a strategy. If violence shocks you, you've missed your chance" to be effective.
Anamaria Cobo de Paci, director of La Casa Latina and Sams' former colleague at Swarthmore, underscored her belief in nonviolence. "It is the best way to get social justice," she said.
The event was sponsored by La Casa Latina, the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute and the Pan-Asian American Community House.
The Martin Luther King Commemorative Symposium will wind up tomorrow night with a jazz concert featuring Glenn Bryan's band, Friends, and a poetry reading by students.
The month-long Symposium -- titled "Achieving Social Justice in Our Time" -- included teach-ins and service projects.
