The Impact Of Gandhi On American Society Through Martin...

Most Americans know little about Hinduism and few imagine that the values of Hinduism had any influence on the development of American society. But what little they do know of Hinduism is most likely derived from their knowledge of Mahatma Gandhi. Few Americans realize that Gandhis teachings and lifes work had a tremendous impact on the development of American society during the Civil Rights Movement. Mohandas K. Gandhi, known to the world as The Mahatma, or the Great Soul, brought a great gift to the modern world. That gift was the light of Non-Violence, of Service to the Community and of Social Justice. His life served as an example and this light became a torch which illuminated our world and which saved us from our own†¦show more content†¦This particular school was attended by and large by students who were the children of former ‘untouchables. The principal of the school introduced me and then as he came to the conclusion of his introduction, he said, ‘Young people, I would like to present to you a fellow untouchable from the United States of America,. And for a moment, I was a bit shocked and even peeved that I would be referred to as an untouchable. I started thinking about the fact that twenty million of my brothers and sisters were still smothering in an air-tight cage of poverty in an affluent society. As I thought about this, I finally said to myself, ‘Yes, I am an untouchable, and every negro in the United States is an untouchable. In 1959, Dr. King gave a sermon on the life of Gandhi in Birmingham Alabama. In that sermon, Dr. King says The world doesnt like people like Mahatma Gandhi. Thats strange, isnt it? They dont like people like Christ, nor do they like people like Lincoln. They killed Gandhi Ââ€" this man who had done all of that for India, who gave his life and who mobilized and galvanized 400 million people for independence. One of his own fellow Hindus felt that he was a little too favorable to Muslims, felt that he was giving too much to the Muslims. Here was the man of non-violence, falling at the hands of a man of violence. Here was a man of love falling at the hands of a man with hate. This seems the way of history. And isnt it significantShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr. And Gandhi1132 Words   |  5 Pagesdramatically through the philosophy of nonviolence are Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas K. Gandhi. While there are many pros to nonviolence, there are just as many cons. Somehow these two people managed to impact millions of people’s lives and still continue to do so today. Through all of the negativity and discrimination these two people became leaders in our society’s eyes and still remain as role models in our society now. 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