Dorothy Cotton

Overview

Dorothy Cotton born Goldsboro, NC January 5, 1930 (d. 2018). Civil rights leader. Education Director, Southern Christian Leadership Conference; tear-gassed by US bombers on visit to Vietnam for Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Quotations

“I think I lived through the period where we thought we'd get the whole world understanding nonviolence. . . We became the big model for the world. . . We take some pride in that.” (Rob Montana interview, Feb. 2, 2011)

“If a house is burning, and bucket of water is thrown on the blaze and doesn't extinguish the fire, this doesn't mean that water won't put out fire. It means we need more water. And so with nonviolence.”

“The powerful weapon of love and nonviolence that must be used to right the wrong. . . I believe this tool, this philosophy, this spirit and way of nonviolence will successfully take us to the next leg of our journey toward wholeness. I hope the study of nonviolence will become a basic part of the curriculum of our public education system. I’m convinced nonviolence can be successful in working for positive change in our relations with other countries right now.” (If Your Back’s Not Bent, p 5; photo pdaspeaker)