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Welcome to the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute

Our history

Throughout his years as a leader of the labor, civil rights and anti-war movements, A.J. Muste motivated many people with his dedication and commitment to nonviolent action.

Seven years after A.J.'s death in 1967, a group of pacifists inspired by his legacy started the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute. The Institute sought to carry forward A.J.'s commitment to nonviolent radical change by providing the movement for peace and justice with practical, concrete support.

Initially run by volunteers from a borrowed desk in the War Resisters League office in downtown Manhattan, the Institute gained tax-exempt charitable status in 1974 and began raising funds to support activist projects through grants and sponsorships. In 1978, the Institute bought the "Peace Pentagon" office building to provide a stable and affordable base for itself and other activist groups in New York City.

In 1981 the Institute launched its Essay Series on Nonviolence with a pamphlet featuring the speeches and letters of Martin Luther King, Jr. Since then, the Institute has distributed thousands of pamphlets, and has provided grants and sponsorships to hundreds of grassroots projects around the world working to:

• end war and expose the military-industrial complex
• oppose nuclear power and halt environmental racism
• stop the death penalty and curb the prison industry
• defend labor rights and build economic justice
• fight for racial and sexual equality, and for immigrant rights
• promote the use of nonviolent action

We invite you to learn more about our projects and to join us in the quest for a better world.