In what way did martin luther king jr advance civil rights through non violence in the 1960s

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s commitment to non-violence as a means of protest gave the civil rights movement the morally superior position to its opponents.

King's principles of non-violence had these key components:
1.  You can resist evil without resorting to violence.
2.  Non-violence seeks to create friendship and understanding, not humiliate those who oppose you.
3.  It is evil itself that must be opposed, rather than seeing the people committing evil acts as the enemy.
4. Being committed to non-violence means being willing to suffer, if necessary, for the sake of what is right.
5. Non-violence applies to the attitude of our hearts as well as to outward actions.
6. Those pursuing change through non-violent means maintain hope for the future and work patiently toward that day of better justice.

We have just observed the 50th anniversary of the tragic death of Martin Luther King, Jr.  We still need his principles in our ongoing struggle for societal justice and equality.