Martin Luther King Jr. was aware that violence rarely solves problems in which no side gets hurt. This led him to believe that while the African Americans should 'fight' for their rights, they should do it peacefully. If they used violence, it would give a reason for their opponents to use violence, as well as take away any outside support that may have formed through sympathy from using non-violence means. Also, if their opponents use violence and they answer with non-violence, it would also draw people away from their opponents, and embrace the cause of giving Africans more rights.
