The Unfinished Revolution: The Deep Work of Non-Violence – with Meg Mott

America began with an armed revolution. According to the Declaration of Independence, if the people were not happy with their government it was their right to “alter and abolish it.” But armed rebellion is a messy path for political reform. Surely, there must be another way to change the government without taking up arms?

In 1963, John Lewis envisioned a non-violent revolution that would achieve the ends of freedom and liberty without taking up arms. In this “unfinished revolution,” current enemies are seen as future friends. Black and white, men and women, rich and poor, he argued, must learn to work together for their mutual benefit.

This presentation will consider the theory and practice of Lewis’s unfinished revolution. We’ll consider the philosophical underpinnings to non-violence, drawing on Gandhi’s satyagraha and Catholic understandings of natural law. We’ll also think practically about what it would take for us to engage in a revolution in which our current enemies are seen as future friends.
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This event is presented through a collaboration entitled ‘Examining American Identity and Leadership in a Changing World’ and comprised of Vermont Independent Media (The Commons), Windham World Affairs Council, and Brooks Memorial Library with support from the Vermont Humanities Council. We have joined America 250, a national initiative asking communities to plan for how to commemorate the 250th year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Its mission is to provide opportunities for all Americans to pause and reflect on our nation’s past & present, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look to the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.