Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

American Baptist minister and civil rights leader (1929–1968)

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (15 January 1929 – 4 April 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize of 1964. He was the husband of Coretta Scott King, and father of Yolanda King and Martin Luther King III.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Birth Name: Michael King Jr.

Alternative Names: Martin Luther King, Jr. • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. • Martin Luther King • Michael King • Dr. King • M. L. King • M.L. King • ML King • MLK • Martin Luther King Junior • Michael King Junior • Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. • The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

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

Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.

"Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies. (from "Loving Your Enemies")"

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.

There comes a time when silence is betrayal.

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.

Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.

As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.

I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.

We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control. Science deals mainly with facts; religion deals mainly with values. The two are not rivals.