Martin Luther King, Jr., a prominent African-American leader of the 20th century who advocated for racial equality, justice and peace throughout his life, was born on 15 January 1929.
He was an activist, minister and humanitarian whose motivation made a seismic impact on the life and thinking of the Blacks.
MLK was also a 1964 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for his continued non-violent struggle against racial segregation and all forms of human discrimination.
Let’s dive into 199 Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes and speeches that led the foundation for social harmony in the USA and paved a role model for the whole world.
199 Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes
Famous Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.
1.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
2.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
3.
“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.”
4.
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”
5.
“Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
6.
“We must meet hate with love. We must meet physical force with soul force. … We must follow nonviolence and love.”
7.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity.”
8.
“It is true that behavior cannot be legislated, and legislation cannot make you love me, but legislation can restrain you from lynching me, and I think that is kind of important.”
9.
“The time is always right to do what’s right.”
10.
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
11.
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
12.
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
13.
“Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they cannot communicate; they cannot communicate because they are separated.”
14.
“What is lacking is not sufficient knowledge of the solution but universal consciousness of the gravity of the problem and education of the billions who are its victims.”
15.
“Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”
16.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
MLK Quotes about Freedom
17.
“As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free.”
18.
“Psychological freedom, a firm sense of self-esteem, is the most powerful weapon against the long night of physical slavery.”
19.
“He who lives with untruth lives in spiritual slavery. Freedom is still the bonus we receive for knowing the truth.”
20.
“The absence of freedom is the presence of death. Any nation or government that deprives an individual of freedom is in that moment committing an act of moral and spiritual murder. Any individual who is not concerned about his freedom commits an act of moral and spiritual suicide.”
21.
“Man is more than a producing animal guided by economic forces; he is a being of spirit, crowned with glory and honor, endowed with the gift of freedom.”
22.
“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
23.
“Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny. He is free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to choose between alternatives. He is distinguished from animals by his freedom to do evil or to do good and to walk the high road of beauty or tread the low road of ugly degeneracy.”
24.
“Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights.”
25.
“One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
26.
“Every man of humane convictions must decide on the protest that best suits his convictions, but we must all protest.”
‘I Have A Dream’ Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr.
27.
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
28.
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”
29.
“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
30.
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