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I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.

— Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)

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More quotes by Martin Luther King Jr.

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.

All Martin Luther King Jr. quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Martin Luther King Jr. (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.