We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.

Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth.

We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.

Mass civil disobedience can use rage as a constructive and creative force.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

For years, I labored with the idea of reforming the existing institutions in the South, a little change here, a little change there. Now I feel quite differently. I think you've got to have a reconstruction of the entire system, a revolution of values.

Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.