Fifty years after the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, the international community continues to reexamine King’s legacy in the wake of current race relations in the United States and around the world.

Professor Wantchekon, Founder and President of ASE and a professor at Princeton University, spoke to the BBC radio on this topic. When asked about the shared legacy of MLK for the global black community, Wantchekon explained:

First of all, there is pride in being black. Then, political engagement, which is very important. There is a capacity to harness legal, pacifist methods for the struggle.

“Look at everything going on!” he exclaimed, listing the recent films on the Selma March and Black Panther as several examples of pacifist forms of resistance.

For the full French-language interview between Professor Wantchekon and BBC Reporter Liliane Nyatcha, please visit the BBC.

Image: Civil Rights March on Washington (1963) / National Archives photo no. 542069