January 17th, 2022 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year. You may have spent time honoring the iconic civil rights activist in school. More recently, you might have seen images online featuring famous quotes from the activist. For many people, it’s been years since they’ve really thought about this great leader’s words.
Take the time to read and think deeply about these 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes.
20 Inspirational Quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “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.” From his famous August 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.
- “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” From his 1957 book Stride Toward Freedom.
- “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” From his April 1960 address at Spelman College.
- “One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong.” From Strength to Love.
- “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” From his April 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”
- “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.” From his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
- “If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.” From his 1967 Christmas sermon on peace.
- “Hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love.” From his 1967 “Where Do We Go From Here?” address.
- “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” From his February 1968 “A Proper Sense of Priorities” speech.
- “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” From the 2002 Coretta Scott King-edited book In My Own Words.
- “It’s all right to tell a man to lift himself by his own bootstraps, but it is cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.” From his Poor People’s Campaign.
- “Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” From “The Purpose of Education” published by teh Morehouse College student newspaper, The Maroon Tiger in 1947.
- “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.” From “A Tough Mind and a Tender Heart” sermon, August 1959.
- “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed.” From “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” April 1963.
- “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.” From “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” April 1963.
- “Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.” From his speech before a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia, October 1967.
- “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. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others.” From his 1963 book, Strength to Love.
- “There are some things so dear, some things so precious, some things so eternally true, that they are worth dying for. And I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” From his speech in Detroit on June 23, 1963.
- “Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.” From the March for Integrated Schools, April 18, 1959.
- “We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.” From his speech in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 25, 1965.
Who Was MLK?
These inspirational words came from the mind of a brilliant man who did more for civil rights for Black Americans than perhaps any other person in the history of this country. But just who was Martin Luther King, Jr., and where did he come from?
Born on January 15th, 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. was the middle child in his family, which had roots in rural Georgia. His grandfather was a minister who moved to Atlanta in 1893 where he continued to preach. When his grandfather passed away, Martin’s father took over as pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Martin was an extremely strong student who skipped both ninth and eleventh grade. He started at Morehouse College at the age of 15, and he graduated with a degree in sociology. He then attended Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
After seminary, he enrolled in a doctoral degree program at Boston University, where he met his future wife, Coretta Scott. He earned his doctoral degree at the age of 25, becoming Dr. King. With his wife Coretta, he had three children and eventually moved the family to Montgomery, Alabama.
Dr. King worked extensively with the NAACP and co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The SCLC sponsored mass meetings to register Black voters in the South. Dr. King traveled to India where he learned in great detail about Gandhi’s approach to non-violent activism, which inspired his own approach.
How Can I Read More of Dr. King’s Work?
If these quotes make you wish you could read more of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s writing, then take a look at his published written work. While he is famous for his speeches, his books (some of which contain his speeches) paint a fuller picture of his thinking.
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958) Dr. King’s first book.
Strength to Love (1963) A collection of his sermons.
Why We Can’t Wait (1963) Dr. King’s essential writings.
Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? (1967) An assessment of America’s priorities.
The Trumpet of Conscience (1968) a collection of Dr. King’s Massey Lectures.
Movies To Watch To Learn More About MLK
If you would rather watch a movie than read a book by Dr. King, there are plenty out there that you can choose from that focus on explaining different aspects of the incredible activist’s life.
The Boy King (1986)
This older film focuses on Dr. King’s childhood, a time in his life that’s not always showcased. It shows how discrimination in King’s childhood affected his later life.
Boycott (2001)
This film focuses on the Montgomery, Alabama boycott that changed history. It represents Dr. King’s life as a young father and activist.
Betty and Coretta (2013)
This film tells the story of the friendship between Coretta Scott King and Dr. Betty Shabazz. Both of their husbands were assassinated because of their quest to change the world.
Selma (2014)
An extremely famous and important film, Selma focuses on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Dr. King’s involvement in the movement and the march.
I Am MLK Jr. (2018)
A documentary that tells the life story of Dr. King, this film features interviews from the late Congressman John Lewis, Reverend Al Sharpton, and many more important figures.
King in the Wilderness (2018)
Another documentary about Dr. King, this film is both raw and deliberate, presenting a balanced view of the great activist’s life.
Legacy of Love (2020)
Unlike the other films on this list, Legacy of Love focuses primarily on the relationship between Dr. King and Coretta Scott.
MLK/FBI (2021)
This film dives deep into the role the FBI played in disrupting Dr. King’s work, focusing on FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s attempts to stop and influence Dr. King.
Honor Dr. King This Year
No matter who you are, where you are, or what you’re doing on January 17th this year, take the time to honor Dr. King on the day dedicated to his memory. The world would be so different without this man. Pay his memory the respect he deserves.
