LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here are 11 powerful and inspirational quotes from Dr. King that remind us of his legacy and his steadfast fight for equality.
1. “[America]...perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade...Our literature, our films, our drama, our folklore all exalt it."
2. "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars"
3. “If one is truly devoted to the religion of Jesus, [that person] will seek to rid the earth of social evils. The gospel is social as well as personal.”
4. "At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of Love."
5. “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”
6. “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. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”
7. "No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they'd die for."
8. “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.”
9. “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
10. " The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."
11. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
PHOTOS | Martin Luther King Jr. through the years
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