Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Find a voice in a whisper.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

God is able to give you the power to endure that which cannot be changed... Why be anxious? Come what may, God is able.

— 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.

Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. Furthermore, I refuse to accept the idea that the "illness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "lightness" that forever confronts him. Furthermore, I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. Furthermore, I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

I always contended that we as a race must not seek to rise from a position of disadvantage to one of advantage, but to create a moral balance in society where democracy and brotherhood would be reality for all men.

— Martin Luther King Jr.

I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love.”— Martin Luther King Jr.

— Martin Luther King Jr.