The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. It is so often the arch supporter of the status quo.

The Negro's problem will not be solved by running away.

We must work passionately and unrelentingly for the goal of freedom, but we must be sure that our hands are clean in the struggle. We must never struggle with falsehood, hate, or malice. We must never become bitter.

You can have no influence over those for whom you have underlying contempt.

We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.

Nothing pains some people more than having to think

The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy... In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.