Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.

You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

I would suffer all the humiliation, all the torture, the absolute ostracism and even death, to prevent violence

The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.

Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?

It's not how long a man lives, but how well he uses the time allotted him.

It is our experience that the nation doesn't move around questions of genuine equality for the poor and for black people until it is confronted massively, dramatically in terms of direct action.