Martin Luther King is one of the most influential figures of modernity. This American Baptist pastor is especially known for his important role in defending the rights of the black population in the United States, fighting against racial segregation and participating in protests against conflicts such as the Vietnam War.

He proposed an unarmed struggle, holding numerous marches in defense of civil rights and achieving the enactment of laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. His thinking is neat and inspired many people to fight for their rights and pursue their dreams both during his lifetime and after his death, murdered.

In this article you will find a selection of the best Martin Luther King phrases .

Phrases and famous quotes from Martin Luther King

Below we present a series of seventy phrases by Luther King that allow us to visualize and deepen our understanding of his thoughts and his way of understanding life and society.

1. I dream that one day, in the red hills of Georgia, the children of former slaves and the children of former slave owners can sit together at the table of brotherhood

In this part of his legendary speech, King reflects his desire to achieve equality between Caucasians and African Americans and to end racial segregation and differences between people of different skin colors.

2. I have a dream, just one dream, keep dreaming. To dream of freedom, to dream of justice, to dream of equality and I wish I no longer needed to dream them

In this sentence, the pastor expresses his desire to achieve equality and justice among people. It is a slogan of the pro-equality movements that position themselves against racism.

3. Your truth will increase to the extent that you know how to listen to the truth of others

This phrase refers to the need to listen, value, accept and take into account the positions of others regardless of whether they resemble or contradict one’s own in order to have a more impartial view and a greater perspective on things.

4. What worries me is not the perversity of the wicked but the indifference of the good

There are people who do not accept positions different from their own, who want to impose themselves and even try to harm others by crushing their integrity and rights. However, if those who do not share this view do not act to restrain them and protect the rights of others they are being complicit and allowing them to succeed despite opposing their actions in principle.

5. We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope

Life’s events can hurt us and disappoint our expectations but we must never lose hope.

6. Darkness cannot undo the darkness: only light can do that

Violence cannot be ended with more violence , but it is necessary to work on the basis of peace, peaceful disobedience and resistance, and dialogue.

7. If a man has discovered nothing to die for, he is not worthy to live

To have something to fight for and to live for, and to be able to give our lives for, is fundamental for this pastor of the Baptist church.

8. What is obtained with violence can only be maintained with violence

With this phrase King expresses his belief that social achievements and struggles are won through non-violent actions.

9. A man does not measure his height in moments of comfort, but in moments of change and controversy

A person’s worthiness manifests itself in bad times, when he must test his beliefs and abilities.

10. Freedom is never voluntarily granted by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the one who is being oppressed.

True freedom is that which is achieved in spite of challenges and impediments, not that which is granted as a mere whim that can come and go at the whim of the oppressor.

11. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter

King indicates in this sentence that we must fight for what matters to us and not give in to difficulties and impediments.

12. We must build dikes of courage to contain the avalanche of fear

Fear paralyzes us and can lead us not to act or to act contrary to what we would like to. We need to face our fears.

13. There comes a time when silence is betrayal

Once again the author of this sentence expresses the need not to consent to the actions of those who abuse and destroy the rights of others, since silence allows them to do what they want and makes us indirect accomplices of their actions by allowing them to harm others.

14. I seek the day when people are not judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character

We should not judge people by their physical characteristics , but by their actions and how they act with others.

15. One of the biggest problems in our society is that the concept of love and power has always been seen as opposites

Power and love have traditionally been seen as opposites, but in reality they should act together in order to obtain efficient and fair performance for the citizens.

16. Power without love is abusive and oppressive, while love without power is anaemic and too permissive

Power exercised without love is despotic and does not care for others, while love without power is not capable of being decisive or acting.

17. It is always the right time to do what is right

What must be done must be done no matter what the moment, without looking for excuses.

18. Peace is not just a distant goal we seek, but in the midst of which we reach that goal

King proposed the use of peaceful methods to fight for civil rights. This is not an end but a means to achieve other goals.

19. Only in the dark can you see the stars

Only those who have suffered are able to value in their right measure the little things and the moments of peace and happiness. Through suffering we learn to fight and to dream with objectives and goals.

20. If I help one person to have hope, I will not have lived in vain

Seeking the good for others, defending their rights or even simply making someone dream or smile, even if it only affects one person, can give meaning to a whole life.

21. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend

One of the most powerful forces, love can lead us to change our perception of others and accept their views.

22. If I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today

You should not give up hope even though things may get bad. We must always fight for what we want.

23. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

The failure to respect the rights of individuals in one place is a threat to all.

24. If you can’t fly, run. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. But whatever you do, always keep going

We always have to move forward, even if we have to go slowly and the road is full of difficulties.

25. I am not black, I am male

In this phrase King reflects that we are all people regardless of our skin color or condition.

26. Nothing is forgotten more slowly than an offense and nothing more quickly than a favor

What they do for us is often quickly forgotten by most people, while what is done against us often lingers in the mind and is thrown in the face and used to justify hostilities.

27. Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could not do it better

Vocation and effort must be constant no matter what we do. If we are passionate about something, we must apply ourselves to it with all our might.

28. The first question the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the Good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I don’t stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

Often it is fear that stops us from fighting for the rights of others even if we think they should have them. However, we must ask ourselves what will happen to the people we decide not to help and the consequences of our inaction.

29. I’ve decided to bet on love. Hate is too heavy a burden

Although hating the one who hurts us can be easy, it is a heavy burden that leads us to hurt each other. Although it may require more effort, forgiveness and love can lead us to achieve our goals in peace and free from the chain of hate.

30. Nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force made for social transformation

Sometimes non-violence is understood as the absence of action and is considered ineffective in making change. However, great transformations have been achieved through this force due to the manifestation of values, beliefs and intentions that are managed to be expressed through its application without causing damage to the opposite position.

31. Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see all the stairs

Through faith and hope, the human being is able to face the unknown and to act in spite of not being able to foresee what will happen.

32. In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends

Enemies can hurt us, but what will really affect us is the passivity of those we love in the face of our own suffering.

33. Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle

Achievements and the pursuit of justice are not effortless.

34. There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular. But one must take it because it is the right one

King urges us to do what is right and just even though this may not be socially acceptable or may cause us harm.

35. We have learned to fly like the birds, to swim like the fish: but we have not learned the simple art of living like brothers

The human being has achieved considerable milestones in different areas. But even today we still treat each other with contempt and attack each other.

36. Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city from wealth and comfort, the inner city from poverty and despair are crushed by the blows of the forces of justice

This sentence proposes to fight for justice and equality among all human beings.

37. Nothing that a man does makes him more degraded than to allow himself to fall so low as to hate someone

Hate brings out our basest passions and the desire for bad things to happen to the hated. The person who hates focuses his or her being on emotions and feelings that debase him or her and detract from his or her performance. In fact, hate is one of the main reasons why many crimes are committed.

38. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity

Lack of knowledge about an element or aspect of reality causes that element to be dismissed, ignored or even attacked. We fear what we do not know, and this fear often leads to rejection.

39. Despite our efforts, we have not had victories that shake the earth, but neither have we been defeated

The process of fighting racial segregation was long and turbulent, full of difficulties. However, it was the fact that people did not give up that made many people begin to evaluate the situation differently and express their opinion.

40. The best way to solve any problem is to eliminate its cause

Martin Luther King states the need to focus not on the problem in question, but on the cause that generates it, so that both the specific problem and possible outbreaks or new problems are solved.

41. An individual has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the wider concerns of all humanity

To be able to see and fight for the needs of others and to put aside our own allows us to move forward in life and in the improvement of the community and society.

42. Intelligence plus character. That is the goal of true education

Education should seek to foster not only intellectuality , but also to help forge character, foster positive values and enhance the capacity to strive for what we want and what we believe.

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43. Submission and tolerance is not the moral path, but often the most comfortable one

It is easy to submit and follow what is dictated to us, but often we will have to fight and act against what is dictated to us if we want to achieve a better world and a better society.

44. If a man is called to be a sweeper, he should sweep the streets even as Michelangelo painted, or as Beethoven composed music, or as Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep the streets so well that all the armies of heaven and earth can stop and say: here lived a great sweeper who did his job well

All work is worthy and, if it is what we are passionate about, it must be carried out with the maximum efficiency and the maximum effort possible. We must give our best in whatever we do.

45. Almost always the dedicated creative minority has made the world better

Minorities are always the ones who promote change in society, especially those who create and introduce new elements that have not been taken into account by the majority.

46. I have three dangerous dogs: ingratitude, pride, and envy. When they bite, they leave a deep wound

In this sentence, King indicates some of the elements that pose a danger in achieving a just and egalitarian society.

47. The hope of a safe and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who dedicate themselves to justice, peace and brotherhood

Those who fight for justice are those who can achieve a just, equal and secure future for all.

48. Wars are poor chisels for forging peaceful tomorrows

Violence will hardly generate peace , and when it does it is only temporary.

49. When we look at modern man, we have to face the fact that modern man suffers from a kind of poverty of the spirit, which is in stark contrast to his scientific and technological abundance

Today’s human being has advanced to a great extent in technical aspects and knowledge, but nevertheless is increasingly individualistic, self-centered, materialistic and conformist.

50. Guard against violence, whether it is expressed through the tongue, the fist or the heart

King has always opposed violence, which he considers to be unhelpful and unnecessary in whatever form it is expressed.

51. Violence creates more social problems than it solves

In line with the previous sentence, we are told that many of the problems that can arise are derived from violence even when it is applied to try to solve problems.

52. The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict

King criticizes the attitude of those who do not take a position on important situations because they prefer to ignore what is happening.

53. No one will ride on us if we don’t bend our backs

This phrase urges us not to let ourselves be subdued. We must not let others place us below them or bend our rights.

54. Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dams that block the flow of social progress

Although the initial intention of the law is to create a more just world, it is usually rigid and difficult to modify, so that when it does not achieve such justice, it can be an impediment to the introduction of social changes or improvements that allow its original objective.

55. He who is unable to forgive is unable to love

We all harm others at some time, voluntarily or involuntarily. He who loves must be able to forgive the loved one . If we cannot forgive, we will no longer be able to love.

56. Take your first step now. You don’t have to see the whole way through. Just take the first step. The rest will appear as you walk

The well-known Baptist pastor encourages us with this phrase to dare to act in spite of not knowing where such action will lead us.

57. Love your enemies

If we want to agree, it is necessary to establish an understanding, and for this it is necessary that the one who is considered an enemy becomes a friend. We need to be able to forgive and love even those who hurt us.

58. It does not matter how long one lives, but how one lives. If you live well and die young, you may have contributed more than a person up to the age of eighty concerned only with himself or herself

The time we live is not the important thing, but what we do with it to contribute to a better world.

59. Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal

Right and legal don’t always go together. Many laws have been created, modified and taken advantage of for the benefit of one or a few and to the detriment of others by ignoring what is right. That is why sometimes it must be fought to achieve such justice even if it goes against the law.

60. No lie lives forever

No matter how long the lie is, at some point someone will look for the truth. However long the injustice may be, in the end it will be defeated by those who seek justice.

61. People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they do not know each other; they do not know each other because they have not communicated

Martin Luther King reflects in this sentence the need to communicate and establish contact between different people and groups in such a way that we learn from each other and realize that deep down we are similar, thus pushing away fear of others.

62. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak

We may not know everything and perhaps our perception may be partly wrong, but we must speak out and show our position.

63. Returning hatred for hatred’s sake multiplies hatred, adds a deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.

Hate and violence only generate more hate and violence, so responding to them in the same way only enlarges and prolongs the original problem.

64. The black man lives on a lonely island of poverty, in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity

The situation of the black population in those times was dramatic: they were attacked, less valued, less paid and practically ignored by the majority of the population, in addition to having very little access to studies, well paid jobs or high positions in the social ladder. In fact, even marriage between people of different races was forbidden and punishable by law.

65. Dig a tunnel of hope through a dark mountain of despair

Many people fall into despair and give up, ceasing to fight. It is necessary to overcome this feeling and to have hope in order to be able to face and overcome situations.

66. To have enemies you don’t have to declare war; it’s enough to say what you think

Expressing your thoughts and beliefs can lead to the enmity of those who do not understand them or see them as a threat to their own, although they should not be censured for that reason.

67. Those who do not seek happiness are more likely to find it, because those who seek it forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others

This sentence indicates that those who pursue happiness at all costs tend to focus on themselves and leave everything else aside, when in fact a great deal of happiness comes from trying to make others happy.

68. Never, ever be afraid to do the right thing, especially if a person or animal’s welfare is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look away

We must fight for what we believe to be right, even if it means breaking the law and being punished for it.

69. Segregation is a cancer in the body politic, which must be eliminated before our democratic health can be realized. Segregation is bad because it is nothing more than a new form of slavery disguised with certain subtleties of complexity. Segregation is bad because it is a system of adultery perpetuated by an illicit relationship between injustice and immorality. And in Birmingham, Alabama, and throughout the South and across the country, we are simply saying that we can no longer sell our birthright to freedom for a plate of segregated lentils.

In these phrases King reflects what represents segregation, the weariness of the African-American population and his intention to fight against the injustice it entails.

70. Love is the most enduring power in the world. This creative force, so well exemplified in the life of our Christ, is the most powerful instrument available in humanity’s quest for peace and security

This phrase by Martin Luther King expresses the importance of love as the main force that moves the world towards the pursuit of the common good and that seeks justice and peace.