The Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King, and the American Civil Rights Movement
On August 6, 2009, the Memphis-based National Civil Rights Museum announced that it was awarding the prestigious International Freedom Award to the Dalai Lama for his “steadfast commitment to protecting and defending the rights of the oppressed people of Tibet and elsewhere in the world.” The museum recognizes the Dalai Lama’s contributions to world peace through promotion of human values, interfaith harmony and universal responsibility.”
The announcement had a quote from the Museum Board Chairman Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks, who said, “As a living example of Dr. Martin Luther King and Gandhi’s non-violence in the face of political oppression and suffering, the Dalai Lama demonstrates life-long peaceful struggle against brutality and injustice. As the Tibetan people mark their 50th year in exile, the Dalai Lama’s struggle serves as an inspiration for social justice movements everywhere.”
I thought the announcement highlighted two interesting points. First, it is a strong endorsement of the Dalai Lama’s effort by an organization aligned with the American civil rights movement. The National Civil Rights Museum “chronicles key episodes of the American civil rights movement and the legacy of this movement to inspire participation in civil and human rights efforts globally, through our collections, exhibitions, and educational programs.”
Secondly, the reference to the similarity between the Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King is apt as the Dalai Lama has clearly indicated his looking up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a role model. The Dalai Lama mentions in his memoirs about how the activities of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have inspired him in his non-violent struggle for the Tibetan people.
The American student community, too, sees this connection between the two individuals. In April 2009, a writer for the University of California at Berkeley’s newspaper The Daily Californian made this comparison between the Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King. “Like Martin Luther King Jr., he has been steadfastly devoted to nonviolence, in the face of much repression. His eloquent articulation and lifetime commitment to nonviolence earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.”
I remember that in September 1995, the very month I began formally working at the International Campaign for Tibet, the Dalai Lama came to the United States in the course of which he went to Atlanta to visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and to meet with the late Civil Rights leader’s family, including his widow Coretta Scott King and son Dexter King. I can’t imagine the feeling inside the Dalai Lama’s mind as he stood together with the family of an individual he so admired.
Both the Dalai Lama and Martin Luther King had dreams and visions for their people. King’s dreams have been partially fulfilled even though there continues to be challenges. The Dalai Lama continues to work nonviolently for the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama is scheduled to accept the award in Memphis, TN, during his September-October visit to the United States when he will also be visiting Washington, D.C. You can get more information about his Washington, D.C., visit here.
(Photo Caption: His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Coretta Scott King and her children, Dexter Scott and Bernice Albertine, at the King Center in Atlanta.)
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