What made Martin Luther King Jr. such an effective leader was not how he gave speeches or how he organized his marches or how he communicated with other political figures. It was how he lived his life. He lived it exactly how he preached it.
During a speech he gave in September 1962, a young, white man jumped the stage and struck Dr. King in the face, knocking him backwards and face down. And then the attacker continued to deliver more blows to King's body while he was still down. Before King's supporters had the chance to grab the young attacker, Kind called out, "Don't touch him. Don't touch him. We have to pray for him." The attacker was a 6'2", 200 lbs man who towered over King's 5'7" frame. King never sought to hit back. At one point, he actually stood still with his arms at his sides, waiting to be struck on the other cheek. The gesture effectively stopped attacker's anger and he gave himself up.
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