Attachment Neuroscience and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Nonviolence Philosophy
By Dr. Dorneshia Thomas
Our paper entitled “Attachment Neuroscience and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Nonviolence Philosophy: Implications for the 21st Century and Beyond” introduces a newly proposed psychological theory of nonviolence known as the Kingian Neuro-Relational Theory (KNRT). There are a variety of ways of understanding the philosophy of nonviolence and KNRT is a psychological and scientific theory of nonviolence based on Dr. Kings understanding of nonviolence.
As a high school student at Martin Luther King Jr., high school I was trained in Kingian Nonviolence. During the course of that training Dr. Bernard Lafayette, who was a freedom rider and member of Dr. King’s executive staff, shared with us the story about the conversation he had with Dr. King shortly before he died. He shared with us that they were talking about the work they were doing on the Poor People’s Campaign and before they ended that conversation Dr. King told Dr. Lafayette that his vision was to institutionalize and international nonviolence education and training. That means that Dr. King’s ultimate plan was to take nonviolence all over the world because empowering people with nonviolence is how we can work towards the creation of what he called the Beloved Community, a world that is safer and more just for everybody.
KNRT takes this idea from Dr. King pertaining to the value of nonviolence education and training and puts it into scientific language, particularly using attachment theory and modern neuroscience. It explains why nonviolence is a scientifically viable approach for bringing about meaningful and lasting social growth.
Kingian Neuro-Relational Theory (KNRT) states:
if people feel more connected, ideally more securely attached, and valued by and within society, from the microsystem (immediate environment) to the macrosystem (societal values and beliefs), they will generally be less inclined to be violent. These experiences of connection and value would then ultimately result in the reduction of societal violence, psychological distress, mental illness, and improvement in other health outcomes by way of stress reduction. Experiencing a felt sense of security, facilitated by nonviolent engagement, would increase the likelihood that neuronal pathways in the brain are structured and organized in a manner that would help to increase people’s capacity and inclinations for pro-relational activity, as opposed to anti-relational postures. This concept would apply to other aspects of the brain and other systems of the body as well.
When we carefully read Dr. King’s work and we carefully listen to those that knew him well and worked with him we come to understand that Dr. King had a very deep and comprehensive commitment to the philosophy of nonviolence as the method for achieving social change or social growth. We will also see that Dr. King was not just telling Black people to live nonviolently, he was calling everybody to nonviolent living in every area of life. He saw this as the most effective way for dealing with the issue of societal violence.
This was his encouragement to all of humanity because he believed that achieving social growth and creating the Beloved Community, was tied to seeing value, dignity and worth in every person and being intentional about relating to ourselves and others in a manner that affirms that. That includes everything from government policies that are put in place, to how we structure the educational system, college admission and scholarship criteria, to how we approach mental health treatment ,or engage in everyday conflicts at work, home or school. When we really hear what Dr. King is saying, and we are able to think about nonviolence in this way, it can radically transform how we think about activism and the interconnected nature of life.
It can help us to see that we are engaging in activist moments more often than we might be aware of and that there is tremendous value in making sure people have the psychological capacity to choose nonviolent daily interactions. A concept that is vital to KNRT is what we are referring to as “Developmental Privilege” (DP), which is defined as:
having inherent advantages in terms of psychological health, physical health, and daily functioning as a result of benefiting from more regular, consistent, healthier interpersonal interactions, and/or being in healthier environmental spaces during the course of one’s life in a society characterized by inequality and injustice. This is especially important to consider in the context of critical developmental periods with one’s attachment figure(s). DP also extends to being the offspring of persons, and/or having ancestors, that have had similar experiences. DP would also pertain to persons whose brains do not have the added stress of coping with a mental disorder (e.g., neurocognitive, mental illness, substance misuse/abuse, personality disorders, and neurodegenerative), trauma, or any form or degree of injury to the brain. DP and KNRT acknowledge the reality of the intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns and trauma, as well as modern genetic and epigenetic research that shows that our own lived experiences, and those of family members, have ongoing implications for our brains, minds, and bodies.
KNRT Captures why it is so important that we all strive to choose the nonviolent approach when it comes to these various aspects of life. In this day and time, it seems a lot of people want to hold on to Dr. King’s social critiques, and more or less throw away his philosophy of nonviolence. A lot of people have concluded or are tempted to conclude that his philosophy of nonviolence is outdated. But KNRT also makes the case, that if humanity is willing to give this approach to activism and life a serious chance, modern science suggest that it could allow us to live in a more peaceful and safe world, a society that it more decolonized, diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
General Summary of KNRT Strategies
Article Details
Attachment Neuroscience and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Nonviolence Philosophy: Implications for the 21st Century and Beyond
Dorneshia L. Thomas, George S. Stavros, Steven J. Sandage, Linda Berg-Cross, and Edwin J. Nichols
First published online June 19, 2022
DOI: 10.1177/00957984211016236
Journal of Black Psychology
About the Author
Dr. Thomas earned her B.A. from the University of Kentucky (UK). At UK She majored in psychology and minored in Judaic studies. She was the recipient of a number of academic and other awards while at UK including the John R. and Joan B. Gaines Fellowship in the Humanities. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with the Phi Beta Kappa distinction. She is also a graduate of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Howard University. At Howard she was the recipient of the Frederick Douglass Doctoral Fellowship.
Her research interests include adult attachment theory, nonviolence theory, religion and spirituality, as well as standardized testing. Dr. Thomas is a research affiliate of the Danielsen Institute at Boston University.
Link to professional website: About Dr. Dorneshia Thomas | Laurel, MD 20707 (tdpsychotherapy.com)