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Martin Luther King, Jr.

64 quotes

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible leader of the Civil Rights Movement. His philosophy of nonviolent resistance and his extraordinary gift for oratory — exemplified by his "I Have a Dream" speech — changed the course of American history and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

“I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good

All Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love

“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.

Education

“The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life

“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.

Good

“There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life

“Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Legal

“A man who won't die for something is not fit to live.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Death

“The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Men

“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Faith

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Time

“I submit that an individual who breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust and willingly accepts the penalty by staying in jail to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the very highest respect for law.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Respect

“Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Men

“At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love

“Science investigates religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge which is power religion gives man wisdom which is control.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Knowledge

“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Work

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Change

“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love

“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.

Good

“I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

God

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love