50 inspiring martin luther king jr quotes

Here are 50 inspiring Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

On Equality and Justice

  1. "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."
  2. "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."
  3. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
  4. "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
  5. "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

On Nonviolence

  1. "Nonviolence is not a method of getting something from others, but a way of getting along with others."
  2. "The means by which we seek to establish equality must be as pure as the ultimate goal itself."
  3. "Nonviolent resistance is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength."
  4. "Love is the most durable power in the world."
  5. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

On Courage and Perseverance

  1. "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."
  2. "The time is always right to do what is right."
  3. "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry."
  4. "We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of forgiveness is devoid of hope."
  5. "The future is not something we enter, but something we create."

On Faith and Hope

  1. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
  2. "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality."
  3. "The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined and wise individual citizens who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood."
  4. "The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very violence it seeks to destroy."
  5. "I have faith that the day will come when the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

On Leadership and Sacrifice

  1. "A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."
  2. "The leader must put on his conscience the weight of the consequences of his actions."
  3. "The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt."
  4. "I am not a leader, I am a servant."
  5. "The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission."

On Education and Personal Growth

  1. "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically."
  2. "Intelligence plus character – that is the true goal of education."
  3. "The Negro is not a minority, he is the majority. The majority of the world's population is colored."
  4. "The function of the university is to create a community of scholars who are free to explore the unknown."
  5. "The most important thing is to be able to read and write and to be able to think critically."

On Politics and Government

  1. "The Negro has no choice but to participate in the democratic process."
  2. "The government of the United States is the essentially a government of laws and not of men."
  3. "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
  4. "The Negro must not be content with the gains he has made, but must press on for more."
  5. "The time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise and to give every American the opportunity to live in dignity and security."

On Love and Compassion

  1. "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
  2. "We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of forgiveness is devoid of hope."
  3. "The universe is on the side of justice."
  4. "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
  5. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

On Racism and Discrimination

  1. "Racism is a philosophy based on a lie."
  2. "The Negro is not a minority, he is the majority. The majority of the world's population is colored."
  3. "The most segregated hour in American life is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."
  4. "The Negro is not a problem, he is a person."
  5. "The problem of racism is not a problem of the Negro, it is a problem of the white man."

On Nonconformity and Disobedience

  1. "One who breaks an unjust law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
  2. "The Negro must not be content with the gains he has made, but must press on for more."
  3. "The time has come for this nation to fulfill its promise and to give every American the opportunity to live in dignity and security."
  4. "The Negro is not a minority, he is the majority. The majority of the world's population is colored."
  5. "The universe is on the side of justice."

I hope these quotes inspire and motivate you to work towards a more just and equitable society.