17 Quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. That Should Grab Our Attention

Books are one of my favorite gifts to receive for Christmas.

This year, I received quite a few fantastic reads. One that I most anticipated was an autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr., edited and compiled by Clayborne Carson.

Carson took the words of MLK Jr. and put them into a chronological autobiography, which is super accessible and offers incredible insight into the philosophies behind King’s work and actions.

Below are some of King’s quotes that stood out to me, along with a few thoughts that speak to why those particular words spoke loud and clear to my own experience in the world.

These quotes from King are not the usual ones we see around this time of year. King was a radical. A radical fueled by love and a thirst for justice.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday and as myself and fellow progressives face a tumultous four years ahead of us, many of King’s words provide a guiding light and reassurance that “We Shall Overcome”.

…Any religion that professes concern for the souls of men and is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion only waiting for the day to be buried. (p.18) — Martin Luther King, Jr.

I firmly believe Christianity (and any religion) is weakest and most shallow when its believers escape into the Heavens. There is a time and place for eternity-talk. But people of faith cannot leave the flesh and bones of humanity to wither in misery, strife, and oppression while we have our heads in the clouds.

Through education we seek to change attitudes and internal feelings (prejudice, hate, etc.); through legislation and the courts we seek to regulate behavior. Anyone who starts out with the conviction that the road to racial justice is only one lane wide will inevitably create a traffic jam and make the journey infinitely longer. (p. 49)

The fight for equality and justice must take many forms. We cannot rely on one branch of government or one tactic. Over the next four years, progressives will have to mobilize on all fronts.

I had come to see early that the Chrisitan doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to the Negro in his struggle for freedom…Nonviolent resistance had emerged as a technique of the movement, while love stood as the regulating ideal. In other words, Christ furnished the spirit and motivation while Gandhi furnished the method. (p. 67)

Gandhi (nonviolence) and Christ (love) go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Throughout this struggle for racial justice I have constantly asked God to remove all bitterness from my heart and to give me the strength and courage to face any disaster that came my way. (p. 118)

This is one I greatly struggle with and I know many Americans battle. I pray for bitterness in myself to be removed. For how disgusted I am by Donald Trump’s words and actions, it will truly take a miracle to remove my bitterness and anger. In the meantime, I will “pray with my feet”.

True nonviolent protest is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflicter of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart. (p. 130)

Nonviolence is not weakness. It is power cloaked in love.

The way of violence leads to bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. But the way of nonviolence leads to redemption and the creation of the beloved community. (p. 134)

As Darth Vader knew, the “Dark Side” will consume you. But we don’t have to go down that road.

I stressed the need for a social gospel to supplement the gospel of individual salvation. I suggested that only a “dry as dust” religion prompts a minister to extol the glories of heaven while ignoring the social conditions that cause men an earthly hell. (p. 179)

Keep our eyes and hearts open to the conditions of the “least of these” around us.

Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outside anywhere within its bounds. (p. 189)

This one really struck me as speaking to today. Especially with Trump’s vitriol toward immigrants and a vocal minority cheering for a wall. Fear has a way of twisting the minds of otherwise “good” people.

I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent, determined action. (p. 198)

Even though I try to understand the plight and prejudice minorities face in the United States, I still cannot fully grasp it as a white man. But all of us must try to see the world from the eyes of the oppressed, instead of turning a blind eye.

The Civil Rights Act…was not a product of the charity of white America for a supine black America, nor was it the result of enlightened leadership by the judiciary. This legislation was first written in the streets. (p. 245)

That last line, though. Wow.

The violence of poverty and humiliation hurts as intensely as the violence of the club. (p. 295)

I believe many Americans (myself included at times), have become desensitized to the ravages of poverty and prejudice.

When we had our open housing marches many of our white liberal friends cried out in horror and dismay: “You are creating hatred and hostility in the white communities in which you are marching. You are only developing a white backlash.” They failed to realize that the hatred and the hostilities were already latently or subconsciously present. Our marches merely brought them to the surface. (p. 305)

We are seeing racial animosity bubble to the surface, in a more public way. It was there all along.

One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified with a resignation of power and power with a denial of love. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love. (p. 325)

A beautiful portrait of the relationship between love, power, and justice.

To me the relationship of this ministry to the making of peace is so obvious that I sometimes marvel at those who ask me why I am speaking against the war. (p. 339)

King’s comments about his opposition to the Vietnam War were enlightening.

A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. (p. 341)

And the Trump Adminstration, along with Republicans, is set to increase defense spending even more. Eisenhower also warned us about this.

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice with produces beggars needs restructuring. (p. 340)

Unjust systems, not only individual acts, must be addressed and confronted.

Never forget that freedom is not something that is voluntarily given by the oppressor. It is something that must be demanded by the oppressed. (p. 353)

As a gay man, I feel like I grew up seeing this when it comes to LGBT Rights. Again and again, the oppressed must fight for their own freedom.