While he was studying at Crozer, King visited Philadelphia to hear a lecture by Dr. Mordecai Johnson (president of Howard University, Washington DC) about his recent visit to India. The speech was dedicated to a man named Mohandas Gandhi, and his approach that brought about social change. He called his tactic Soul Force, which was the power of love and truth. Johnson believed this very technique could help the African-Americans gain their freedom. King found his words “so profound and electrifying” he went out and bought several books on Gandhi’s life and works. This method called Soul Force could be applied by using the love of Jesus to resist the evil in society. The discovery of Gandhi proved to be a major event in King’s spiritual journey.
