Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Jill Shah on January 16, 2012
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, Dr. King is remembered across the nation for his groundbreaking and iconic leadership in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. In 1964, Dr. King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent means. Throughout his career of service, Dr. King wrote and spoke frequently and eloquently. His words contain an immortal power, relevance, and inspiration for all who read them today. To honor his work and remember his greatness, here a few of Dr. King’s most iconic quotes:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it… Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. ("Where Do We Go From Here?")
When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. ("Where Do We Go From Here?")
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think. (Strength to Love)
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. ("Letter from a Birmingham Jail")
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." ("I Have a Dream")
We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ... And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity. (The Drum Major Instinct)
I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. ("Letter from a Birmingham Jail")"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there "is" such a thing as being too late. There is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.""Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."
Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?"
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