Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
The time is always right to do what is right.
Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.
The law is not always just, and the justice is not always legal.
A justice delayed is a justice denied.
Everything we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.
Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.
There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community.
I have tried to preach the message of love and nonviolence.
One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the consequences.
Injustice is like a deadly virus; it spreads where silence prevails.
A letter can be a lifeline of hope in a sea of struggle.
The great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the oppression of the bad people; it’s the appalling silence of the good people.
Justice too long delayed is justice denied.
We will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.
To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it.
Injustice thrives on the complacency of the good.
There is a distinction between just and unjust laws, and one must fight against the unjust.
Dialogue is the only way to build true understanding and empathy.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
It is not a case of waiting for the right moment; the right moment is now.
Direct action is a moral responsibility when negotiation fails.
The purpose of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.
The oppressed must educate themselves and their oppressors.
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.
The road to freedom is long and winding, but it begins with a single step.
The essence of the dream is rooted in the struggle for justice.
Lifes most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?
Hope is the thing that is left when everything else is gone.
True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.
Maturity comes not when we can take care of ourselves, but when we can take care of others.
The struggle for justice is a journey, not a destination.
A community that has lost its ability to address failure is a community that has lost its way.
It is a sad commentary on society when we have to fight for basic human rights.
A good leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
The fierce urgency of now demands our actions today for a better tomorrow.
One narrow mind cannot see the brilliance of a world full of colors.
Even in the darkest days, hope can light the way forward.
A heart transformed by love is the most powerful weapon in the fight against injustice.
Standing up for what is right takes courage, but refusing to act takes even more.
To create a just society, we must rip down walls of indifference and build bridges of compassion.