"I criticize America because I love her. I want her to stand as a moral example to the world."

Your self-image should not come from the job you do but from how well you do your job.

And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land

There comes a time when one must take the position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must do it because conscience tells him it is right.

One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying.

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.

Human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation.