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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." I considered Dr. King's Letter from Birmingham Jail to be one of the books of my Bible. |
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Martin Luther King Jr.
Birth and Death: Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Known For: Martin Luther King Jr. is globally recognized as a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He was a key figure in advocating for racial equality through nonviolent means, inspired by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. King was instrumental in organizing major events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and he was a co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). His efforts contributed significantly to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Religion: King was a Baptist minister and a theologian. His faith was central to his philosophy of nonviolent resistance, deeply influenced by Christian teachings.
Books Written:
"Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story" (1958)
"Strength to Love" (1963)
"Why We Can't Wait" (1964)
"Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" (1967)
"The Trumpet of Conscience" (1968, published posthumously)
"A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr." (1986, published posthumously)
Quotes by Martin Luther King Jr.:
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
"The time is always right to do what is right."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control."
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness."
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle."
"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."
"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."
"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love."
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
"Let no man pull you so low as to hate him."
"Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."
"We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
"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."
"The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important."
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
"I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law."
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy continues to inspire movements for civil rights, social justice, and equality around the world. His commitment to nonviolent protest and his eloquent advocacy for human rights have made him an enduring symbol of peace and change.
Birth and Death: Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Known For: Martin Luther King Jr. is globally recognized as a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He was a key figure in advocating for racial equality through nonviolent means, inspired by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. King was instrumental in organizing major events like the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, and he was a co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). His efforts contributed significantly to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Religion: King was a Baptist minister and a theologian. His faith was central to his philosophy of nonviolent resistance, deeply influenced by Christian teachings.
Books Written:
"Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story" (1958)
"Strength to Love" (1963)
"Why We Can't Wait" (1964)
"Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" (1967)
"The Trumpet of Conscience" (1968, published posthumously)
"A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr." (1986, published posthumously)
Quotes by Martin Luther King Jr.:
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
"The time is always right to do what is right."
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control."
"Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness."
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."
"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle."
"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."
"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."
"We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love."
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
"Let no man pull you so low as to hate him."
"Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."
"We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
"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."
"The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important."
"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
"I want to be the white man's brother, not his brother-in-law."
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy continues to inspire movements for civil rights, social justice, and equality around the world. His commitment to nonviolent protest and his eloquent advocacy for human rights have made him an enduring symbol of peace and change.