40 Powerful Martin Luther King Jr Quotes On Racism, Equality & More
Last updated on January 4th, 2024 at 12:40 pm
“Martin Luther King Jr” by “U.S. Embassy New Delhi“, licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Martin Luther King Jr was born on January 15th, 1929, in Atlanta. He had a doctorate in theology, and afterwards, he served as Pastor in Alabama. At a very young age, he experienced the bitterness of racism. His young mind questioned the ill-treating, which led him towards the life of activism.
He dedicated his life to working for the equality of African Americans. He conducted many peaceful protests, gave speeches all over the country. His continuous efforts resulted in legal amendments and upliftment of African Americans. In 1964, he was awarded Nobel Peace Prize.
He was shot dead on April 4th, 1968. But his words have always remained with us. He envisioned the future as a place where everyone lives with peace and equality. His sayings ignite a flame of inspiration in all of us, even after so many years. Check out some Martin Luther King Jr quotes that will fill you up with a sense of power and courage.
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes On Courage
It is hard to find someone who’s not familiar with Martin Luther King Jr quotes. We all must have come across his sayings some or the other times. These quotes are worth remembering and repeating again and again.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles; Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: A GIFT OF LOVE
“No person has the right to rain on your dreams.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“The time is always right to do right.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“There is no gain without struggle.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Powerful Martin Luther King Jr Quotes
Martin Luther King Jr paved a path of equality for all. His words have been powerful and stay true even after half a century. His speeches continue to influence people all around the world. Still, we are surrounded by the ill effects of racial discrimination. Here are Martin Luther King Jr quotes that will help you raise your voice and be powerful in the real sense.
“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: THE PAPERS OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“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.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“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.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“A lie cannot live.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: STRENGTH TO LOVE
“Not everybody can be famous. But everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: A MARTIN LUTHER KING TREASURY
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes About Racism
Ever since his teenage years, when he experienced racism, he was dedicated to make the place a better living space for all. He preached peaceful measures. He dreamt of a nation free of all sorts of discrimination. However, he did not want to achieve it by any means of war. Here are some Martin Luther King Jr quotes about racism.
“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.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“There is no deficit in human resources. The deficit is in human will.“
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: IN A SINGLE GARMENT OF DESTINY
“In some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: THE ESSENTIAL MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“We must see now that the evils of racism, economic exploitation and militarism are all tied together. And you can’t get rid of one without getting rid of the other.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes About Equality
All remember a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr, even after 50+ years of his death. He started the fight for equality, and we look up to his work whenever this fight seems unending. Here are some Martin Luther King Jr. quotes about equality that will help to keep the burning sensation alive.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“We may all have come from different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: WHY WE CAN’T WAIT
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed; We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“The sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
SOURCE: THE WISDOM OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
“A right delayed is a right denied.”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Martin Luther King Jr provided wisdom through his words, which still holds true. He has always celebrated equality, faith and courage with his work and speeches. We get elated with a sense of courage, to date, by his strong words. We hope these Martin Luther King Jr quotes have helped you get motivated.
You can also check out these 25 Most Inspiring Rosa Parks Quotes!
Nitesh Kucchal
Nitesh Kuchhal, an IIM Calcutta graduate, is more than an educator—he's a mentor. With a passion for leadership and entrepreneurship, and travel. He has explored over 20 countries. Beyond teaching, he dives into psychology and discusses social issues. Though he is not a history expert, he enjoys learning about it through books, adding a historical touch to his many interests.
Thank you for showcasing Martin Luther King Jr., the quotes are really good. The fave is the …if you can’t fly, run quote. Anyway, all the best. Cheers.
Thanks for liking the quotes! Cheers.