In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 most inspiring MLK, Jr. quotes. Admittedly it was hard to narrow them down, simply because there are so many. If I missed your favorite let me know in the comments section below.
“The time is always right to do what is right.”
Oberlin College, Oct. 22, 1964
“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.”
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
Steeler Lecture, Nov. 1967
“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.”
Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 1963
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Apr. 16, 1963
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech
Dec. 10, 1964
“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
“Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution”
Oberlin College commencement address, June 1965
“The first question that the Levite asked was, ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But then the Good Samaritan…reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”
“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”
Mason Temple, Memphis, Tennessee, April 1968
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Where Do We Go From Here (1967)
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”
Dec. 25, 1957
And then there is Dr. King’s greatest speech of all, “I Have a Dream,” delivered before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. Below is a video of the complete speech:
What is your favorite Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. quote? If I missed it, let me know in the comments section below.