In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.
From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring. But not only that: Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
We need not join the mad rush to purchase an earthly fallout shelter. God is our eternal fallout shelter. From Strength to Love, 1963.
History has thrust something upon me from which I cannot turn away.
Love is the supreme unifying principle of life.
Love is understanding, redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody.
Jazz speaks for life. This is triumphant music.
Our age is one of guided missiles and unguided men.
One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.
Many men cry Peace! Peace! but they refuse to do the things that make for peace.
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.
We still have a choice today: nonviolence coesistence or violent coannihilation.
Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power.
We aren’t going to let any mace stop us. We are masters in our nonviolent movement in disarming police forces; they don’t know what to do.
Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political and economic change.
We can walk through the darkest night with the radiant conviction that all things work together for the good.
The best way to solve any problem is to remove its cause.
We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust.
We must have the faith that things will work out somehow, that God will make a way for us when there seems no way.
In any civilized society, it is every citizen’s responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen’s responsibility to disobey unjust laws.