Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes about Struggle

Quietly endure, silently suffer and patiently wait.

Quietly endure, silently suffer and patiently wait.

Inspirational, Struggle, Waiting

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2011). “Why We Can't Wait”, p.10, Beacon Press

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace, Kings, Struggle

"Letter from Birmingham Jail," 16 Apr. 1963

Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Country, Struggle, Rights

The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old age pensions, government relief for the destitute, and, above all, new wage levels that meant not mere survival but a tolerable life.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Government, Survival

Martin Luther King (Jr.), Michael K. Honey (2011). “All Labor Has Dignity”, p.101, Beacon Press

What good does it do to sit at the counter when you cannot afford a hamburger?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Economic Inequality, Hamburgers

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.

Change, Work, Struggle

Martin Luther King (Jr.), Alex Ayres (1993). “The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Plume

We are now faced with the fact, my friends, 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. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked, and dejected with a lost opportunity. . . . Over the bleached bones and jumbled residues of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words, 'Too late.' ... Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beautiful, Struggle, Procrastination

Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence, Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City

I am convinced that...in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Men, Companionship

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.72, Beacon Press

When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Night, Civilization

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.117, Beacon Press

There is no gain without struggle.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Inspirational, Struggle, Gains

Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable . . .

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Sacrifice, Progress

Martin Luther King (Jr.), Alex Ayres (1993). “The Wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Plume

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Police Violence, Discipline

I Have a Dream, delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

the universe is under the control of a loving purpose, and that in the struggle for righteousness man has cosmic companionship (angels). Behind the harsh appearance of the world there is a benign power.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Angel, Men

Somehow we must transform the dynamics of the world power struggle from the negative nuclear arms race which no one can win to a positive contest to harness man's creative genius for the purpose of making peace and prosperity a reality for all of the nations of the world.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace, Struggle, Creativity

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.133, Beacon Press

The use of violence in our struggle would be both impractical and immoral. To meet hate with retaliatory hate would do nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love; we must meet physical force with soul force. Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hate, Struggle, Winning

Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1964). “A Martin Luther King Treasury”

In our struggle against racial segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, I came to see at a very early stage that a synthesis of Gandhi's method of nonviolence and the Christian ethic of love is the best weapon available to Negroes for this struggle for freedom and human dignity. It may well be that the Gandhian approach will bring about a solution to the race problem in America. His spirit is a continual reminder to oppressed people that it is possible to resist evil and yet not resort to violence.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Christian, Struggle, Love Is

Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter - but beautiful - struggle for a new world.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beautiful, Struggle, Long

Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence, Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City

I'm grateful to God that, through the Negro church, the dimension of nonviolence entered our struggle.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Grateful, Church

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2013). “The Essential Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream" and Other Great Writings”, p.97, Beacon Press

I plan to stand by nonviolence, because I have found it to be a philosophy of life that regulates not only my dealings in the struggle for racial justice, but also my dealings with people, and with my own self.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace, Philosophy, Struggle

Kenneth L. Smith, Martin Luther King (Jr.), Ira G. Zepp (1986). “Search for the beloved community: the thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Univ Pr of Amer

I think if we, say, if all of the major leaders in this struggle [for human's rights] were at, at war with each other, then I think it would be very difficult to make this social revolution the kind of powerful revolution that it's proved to be.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Powerful, War, Struggle

Source: www.theatlantic.com

I think there can be a collective leadership. Maybe some symbolize the struggle [for human's rights] a little more than others, but I think it's absolutely necessary for the leadership to be united in order to make the revolution effective.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Struggle, Thinking, Order

Source: www.theatlantic.com

Resistance and nonviolence are not in themselves good. There is another element that must be present in our struggle that then makes our resistance and nonviolence truly meaningful. That element is reconciliation. Our ultimate end must be the creation of the beloved community.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Meaningful, Struggle, Beloved Community

We must work passionately and unrelentingly for the goal of freedom, but we must be sure that our hands are clean in the struggle. We must never struggle with falsehood, hate, or malice. We must never become bitter.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hate, Struggle, Hands

"Give Us the Ballot". Address delivered at the Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom (Call to Conscience), 1957.

If we get setbacks and if something happens where the Civil Rights Bill is watered down, for instance, if the Negro feels that he can do nothing but move from one ghetto to another and one slum to another, the despair and the disappointment will be so great that it will be very difficult to keep the struggle disciplined and nonviolent.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Disappointment, Moving, Struggle

Source: www.theatlantic.com

Now let us begin. Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world. This is the calling of the sons of God, and our brothers wait eagerly for our response. Shall we say the odds are too great? Shall we tell them the struggle is too hard?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beautiful, Brother, Struggle

Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence, Delivered 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City

Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes about Struggle

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