By Even though it’s been almost 95 years since Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, and nearly 60 years since he gave that incredible “I Have a Dream” speech, his words and writings are still as powerful and moving today as they were back then.
Let’s honor King’s incredible legacy by taking a moment to read some of his best quotes. Some you might be familiar with, and others might be new to you, but all of them are worth considering. As we celebrate concepts like equality, faith, and the profound truths King spoke about, let’s reflect on these quotes covering everything from peaceful protests to more profound aspects of life.
Best Martin Luther King JR Day Quotes
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr.
The time is always right to do what is right.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Martin Luther King Jr.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King Jr.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
Martin Luther King Jr.
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.
Martin Luther King Jr.
The time is always right to do right.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle.
Martin Luther King Jr.
The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
Martin Luther King Jr.
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.
Martin Luther King Jr.
The day we see the truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Day Quotes
Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude
Martin Luther King Jr.
Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God
Martin Luther King Jr.
Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.
Martin Luther King Jr.
True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King’s Quotes About Life
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
Martin Luther King Jr.
God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous, inordinate wealth, while others live in abject, deadening poverty.
Martin Luther King Jr.
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
Martin Luther King Jr.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
Martin Luther King Jr.
If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King’s Quote I Have A Dream
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.
Martin Luther King Jr.
A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Martin Luther King Jr.
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
Martin Luther King Jr.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Motivational Martin Luther King Quotes
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
Martin Luther King Jr.
We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. is like the superhero of historical heroes, especially considering the tough times he lived through. Born in 1929, he saw some seriously messed-up treatment of African Americans in the U.S. just because of their skin color. But instead of letting that define him, he stuck to his guns, believing that everyone, no matter who they are, should be treated equally and free.
This dude turned that belief into action, putting himself on the line with peaceful protests, hoping someone would pay attention. And guess what? They did, even though some folks were still against him. But his charisma and determination drew others in, and the Civil Rights Movement gained serious traction.
Fast forward, and Martin Luther King became the face of the movement, leading to the end of segregation and the start of a somewhat better America. Lots of people played a part, but King’s role was huge. Without him, the America we know today might look a lot different, and he deserves major props for that.
