It is indisputable that Martin Luther King, Jr. was an amazing orator. His words have inspired us, uplifted us, motivated us, and encouraged us to peacefully secure progress in civil rights.
Here are favorite MLK quotes submitted by members of our community. If you'd like to add your favorite quote, please click here.
"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."
Submitted by Arjun Patel
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
Submitted by Jodie Lewis
"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."
Submitted by Linda Brion-Meisels
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'"
Submitted by Leslie Zales, Sade Finnih, and Rina Mazor
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Submitted by Linda Brion-Meisels
"it's better to have a scarred body than a scarred soul."
Submitted by J.A.
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
Submitted by Linda Brion-Meisels
"I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. - from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 16 April 1963
Submitted by Sarah Higginbotham
"Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
Submitted by P.B.
"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."
Submitted by Rina Mazor
"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say."
Submitted by Mary Haskell
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Submitted by Sophia Ho and Linda Brion-Meisels
"The time is always right to do what is right."
Submitted by Zoë Meadow and Martha Crosier Wood
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Submitted by Nelson J. Ortiz
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Submitted by Valerie Overton
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
Submitted by J.L.
"Love is the only force that is capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
Submitted by Cheryl Meadow
“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.”
Submitted by Zhang Wei
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Submitted by R.W.
Submitted by Arjun Patel
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
Submitted by Jodie Lewis
"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."
Submitted by Linda Brion-Meisels
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'"
Submitted by Leslie Zales, Sade Finnih, and Rina Mazor
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Submitted by Linda Brion-Meisels
"it's better to have a scarred body than a scarred soul."
Submitted by J.A.
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
Submitted by Linda Brion-Meisels
"I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection. - from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 16 April 1963
Submitted by Sarah Higginbotham
"Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
Submitted by P.B.
"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."
Submitted by Rina Mazor
"Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. (Amen) Say that I was a drum major for peace. (Yes) I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. (Yes) I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. (Amen) And that's all I want to say."
Submitted by Mary Haskell
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Submitted by Sophia Ho and Linda Brion-Meisels
"The time is always right to do what is right."
Submitted by Zoë Meadow and Martha Crosier Wood
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Submitted by Nelson J. Ortiz
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Submitted by Valerie Overton
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
Submitted by J.L.
"Love is the only force that is capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
Submitted by Cheryl Meadow
“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.”
Submitted by Zhang Wei
“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
Submitted by R.W.