Beloved Community

What is Beloved Community?

Beloved Community, a term coined by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., describes a society built on economic and social inclusivity, a community in which everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, exploitation, and hate. It is not a utopian ideal, but both a destination and a way forward. Beloved Community is achieved through nonviolent movement building.

Beloved Community is stewarded today by organizations like The King Center, The Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation, and Beloved Communities Network (BCN). MSC staffers and partners attended the Selma Center’s Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation and Level 1 Certification Training in spring 2025.

At MSC, we hold the concept of Beloved Community close as we weave together community-based movements and leaders from across the country, including our fiscally sponsored projects, Movement Strategy Network (MSN) members, and grantees. BCN, an MSN member, is a national network of cultural strategists, organizers, and creatives rooted in the legacy of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Dr. King, Grace Lee Boggs, and others. BCN published “10,000 Beloved Communities: A Graphic Novel & Guide,” written and illustrated by Kristen Zimmerman with contributions from activists and artists like adrienne marie brown, that “makes the lineage and practice of Beloved Community irresistible and accessible.” In 2024, BCN launched the Beloved Communities Cohort in conjunction with MSC as a way to continue the vision of Dr. King’s Beloved Community. The cohort’s guiding statement embodies the nature of the group’s work: “Beloved Community is both our destination and our way forward.”