362 quotes
It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.
I've Been to the Mountaintop (1968)
We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.
Strength to Love (1963)
Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.
I am not interested in power for power's sake, but I'm interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.
The Civil Sphere (2006)
Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)
I must confess, my friends, the road ahead will not always be smooth.
Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967)
Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all God's children.
The chain reaction of evil-Hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars-must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
Loving Your Enemies (1957)
The time is always right to do what's right.
Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
Strength to Love (1963)
Many of the ugly pages of American history have been obscured and forgotten.
Where Do We Go from Here : Chaos or Community? (1967)
A nation or a civilization that continues to produce softminded men purchases its own spiritual death on an installment plan.
Strength to Love (1963)
Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.
Strength to Love (1963)
Love is the supreme unifying principle of life.
Keep Moving From This Mountain (1965)
We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation.
Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence (1967)
First, Communism is based on a materialistic and humanistic view of life and history.
Strength to Love (1963)
But life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony.
Strength to Love (1963)