Wise Quotes By Martin Luther King Jr.
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2023, we have collated an inspiring collection of his quotes on courage, faith, respect, justice, forgiveness and equality.
Martin Luther King Jr (1929 – 1968) was an influential civil rights leader in the USA who fought for racial and social justice through peaceful nonviolent means. He is best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech, which he delivered during the March on Washington in 1963. He also had a significant role in organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott and other campaigns to end discrimination.
His words are inspiring and continue to be relevant today.
MLK Quotes
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
“That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a US federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of one of the most influential civil rights leaders in American history.
Celebrated on the third Monday in January, this day is an opportunity to honor and recognize Dr. King’s efforts to promote equality and justice for all people. As part of his work, he organized marches, gave powerful speeches, and helped to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender or national origin.
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