Question

Can the “tension” created by nonviolent direct action become a positive or negative force to effect change? Cite evidence from King's “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” in your answer.

Answer 1

The tension created by nonviolent direct action can lead to positive change according to Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, he seems to argue in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" that this is the only thing that works. Without tension, people do not feel forced to change or even to negotiate, and they find it easy to ignore important issues. He argues that:

"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored."