Dr. King was speaking to 300 people at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference convention who were hanging on his every word. But Roy James of the American Nazi Party couldn’t stand it a minute longer.
James hated everything King stood for. The bus boycotts and the integration of schools and restaurants infuriated him. So, on September 28, 1962, James took action against the man he blamed for everything.
James, 6-foot-2 and 200 lbs, charged onto the stage toward the 5-foot-9 King, and dealt a powerful right hook to King’s face, dropping him to his knees and then knocking him onto his back. James landed blow after blow until King’s friends pulled him off.
King got up and told the crowd to pray for James. The two men later spoke backstage, and King refused to press charges. He chose non-violence and remained faithful to his principles. Although we can’t all be MLK, we can be our best selves when tested. So, how would you respond?
In the face of violence, King stood tall on his principles. It's up to each of us to determine how we would react when threatened, but no matter what, we must never let the violence of white supremacy keep us down.