We are suffering. We have suffered. And we are not afraid to suffer in order to win our cause.

If you're not frightened that you might fail, you'll never do the job. If you're frightened, you'll work like crazy.

What is at stake is human dignity. If a man is not accorded respect he cannot respect himself and if he does not respect himself, he cannot demand it.

I remember with strong feelings the families who joined our movement and paid dues long before there was any hope of winning contracts. Sometimes, fathers and mothers would take money out of their meager food budgets just because they believed that farm workers could and must build their own union. I remember thinking then that with spirit like that... we had to win. No force on earth could stop us.

When you have people together who believe in something very strongly - whether it's religion or politics or unions - things happen.

The non-violent technique does not depend for its success on the goodwill of the oppressor, but rather on the unfailing assistance of God.

There's no reason to be non-violent. There's no challenge unless you are living for people.