Quotes About Martin Luther King

In 1968, the sanitation workers of Memphis tried to form a union. The city resisted. The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to support them. That was where he lost his life.

Will we march only to the music of time, or will we, risking criticism and abuse, march to the soul-saving music of eternity?

Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice.

Democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth.

a man's life was sacred only if we agreed with his views.

Was not Jesus an extremist in love? - "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you."

The message of Martin Luther King, Jr.—that we should be judged on the content of our character, not on the color of our skin—dwells in the American soul; so does the menace of the Ku Klux Klan. History hangs precariously in the balance between such extremes. Our fate is contingent upon which element—that of hope or that of fear—emerges triumphant.

We are now operating a school system in America that's more segregated than at any time since the death of Martin Luther King.

And I was shocked when a high school friend, someone I thought of as a "nice kid," expressed satisfaction at the assassination of Martin Luther King in April 1968.

Ray Charles' revolutionary approach to music was also reflected in his politics and his deep and abiding commitment to Martin Luther King and the plight of African-Americans. Ray Charles may not have been on the front lines, but he put his money where his mouth was.

Martin Luther King said, and it is sadly still true, that one of the most segregated times in America is the hour of worship.

I think power will do anything to survive and one of its main techniques is the rule of exceptions. So it makes an exception out of people and we worship them, whether that's Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks. These people become beatified beyond recognition.

Love is somehow the key that unlocks the door which leads to ultimate reality.

The United States is a country founded on the ideal of freedom and equality, values later underlined by key historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King.

I believed in Obama for social issues. I believe he brought our nation together and healed our racial divide. Martin Luther King's dream came true when he was elected. That's huge.

There's a natural tendency to sanitize and polish any historical icon whether it be George Washington chopping down the cherry tree or Martin Luther King saying, "I have a dream."

Jesus Christ was an extremist for love, truth and goodness.

Let us be practical and ask the question: How do we love our enemies?

I love Louisiana fried fish, but it's all Martin Luther King, I can't go over there.

I would love to meet Martin Luther King. His fearless attitude, leadership, and self-awareness changed our world.

I think one of the most wonderful books that Martin Luther King wrote was Strength to Love. I always liked it because of the word 'strength,' which counters the Western notion of love as easy. Instead, Martin Luther King said that you must have courage to love, that you have to have a profound will to do what is right to love, that it does not come easy.

We're trained to see the world in terms of charismatic organizations and charismatic people. That's who we look to for leadership and change, for transformation. We're awaiting the next J.F.K., the next Martin Luther King, the next Gandhi, the next Nelson Mandela.

He (Martin Luther King) was very pure in mind and heart. He was a lover: a lover not only of his race but a lover of all mankind. His heart was so broad, so great, so magnanimous, and this gave him a most sincere feeling of absolute oneness with everyone. This is what made him so divinely great.

Martin Luther King's legacy is never to be measured by bricks and mortar, but rather by the kind of lives that we live, and the kind of love and service that we render.