55 of the Most Powerful Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
His words stand the test of time.
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More than 50 years after his assassination in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered as an activist, a prominent leader in the civil rights movement, a pioneering historical Black figure, and a wordsmith. His impact is still felt today, as his daughter carries on his legacy, and we continue to look to him for strength when the fight for racial equality seems unending. Throughout his years of public service, the Nobel Peace Prize winner wrote and delivered speeches—the most notable being his 1963 "I Have a Dream" address—that provided wisdom that still holds true. We've included 55 of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most famous quotes about kindness, courage, unity, and beyond that are sure to inspire. One of our favorites? "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.”
"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."
The iconic civil rights leader wrote this in a rare handwritten letter he penned in the mid-1960s. It was uncovered through the memorabilia company Moments in Time and reported by CNN.
"Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education."
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this in the "The Purpose of Education," a 1947 article for Morehouse College's student newspaper.
"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."
From his 1957 book Stride Toward Freedom.
"Let no man pull you so low as to hate him."
From his 1956 "The Most Durable Power" sermon.
"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.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
From his 1963 book, Strength to Love.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
From Strength to Love.
“One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right when the head is totally wrong."
From Strength to Love.
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
From Strength to Love.
"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”
From Strength to Love.
BUY THE BOOK"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.
"We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope."
From his "I Have A Dream" speech.
"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred."
From his "I Have A Dream" speech.
"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
From his April 1963 "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
"We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right."
From his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.”
From his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
"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 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.
"The beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace is more precious than diamonds or silver or gold."
From his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
"Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love...violence ends up defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers."
From his December 1964 Nobel lecture.
McKenzie Jean-Philippe is the editorial assistant at OprahMag.com covering pop culture, TV, movies, celebrity, and lifestyle. She loves a great Oprah viral moment and all things Netflix—but come summertime, Big Brother has her heart. On a day off you'll find her curled up with a new juicy romance novel.
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