Speeches

Remarks by Chargé d'Affaires, a.i., Stephen Schwartz, at the
Paper Show Launching of Martin Luther King

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Port Louis Theatre

Lord Mayor Reza Issack;
Invited Guests

It is a pleasure to be here today to launch this exhibit of one of America’s heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King.   I’d like to thank the Lord Mayor’s Office for all the assistance and support they have given to the U.S. Embassy in providing this wonderful venue.  On the eve of Mauritians commemorating the Abolition of Slavery we are launching an exhibit which also explores the positive impact and status of African-Americans in different facets of U.S. society.   

The exhibit you are about to tour honors Dr. King’s life and achievements as an active leader in the U.S. civil rights movement.  He advocated non-violent action as a means to overcome the evil of racism in America, and he led the effort that resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  He was pivotal in persuading his fellow Americans to end the legal segregation that prevailed throughout the South and other regions in the United States, and in sparking support for the civil rights legislation that established the legal framework for racial equality in the United States.

A student of the philosophy and principles of nonviolence enunciated by Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King traveled to India where he studied the legacy of his “political mentor.”  Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  In his acceptance speech he stated, “ . . . that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time:  the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression.  . . . nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation.  Sooner or later, all the peoples of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood.  If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation.”

Please take time today to explore the exhibit and learn about Dr. King’s ideas and philosophy.  The Sufi International School’s exhibit on Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence is also on display.  I encourage you to explore both exhibits and walk away with a better understanding of Dr. King’s ideas and philosophy on non-violence. 

Thank you.