America Will Be! (Conversations on Hope, Freedom, and Democracy)

This illuminating dialogue between Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda and Vincent Harding, a friend and advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., recounts the historic events of the American civil rights movement, with an emphasis on the spiritual and philosophical values and ideas that they believe should guide all modern experiments in democracy. It sheds light on the contributions of major leaders such as King, Gandhi, and Obama, while also calling attention to the roles played by women and "ordinary people" in social justice struggles. Divided into 16 conversations, including chapters on character, encouragement, influence, and revolution, it reveals how the movement’s victories expressed a profound vision of freedom and equality through nonviolent social change. Above all, Harding and Ikeda offer a cross-cultural perspective with a core message of hope and human possibility.