He who is greatest among you shall be a servant. That's the new definition of greatness. ... By giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Non-violent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored... I am not afraid of the word tension. I have earnestly worked and preached against violent tension, and there is a type of constructive tension that is necessary for growth.
Martin Luther King, Jr.The end of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may.
Martin Luther King, Jr.We were not unmindful of the difficulties involved. So we decided to go through a process of self-purification.
Martin Luther King, Jr.It is precisely because education is the road to equality and citizenship, that it has been made more elusive for Negroes than many other rights. The walling off of Negroes from equal education is part of the historical design to submerge him in second class status. Therefore, as Negroes have struggled to be free they have had to fight for the opportunity for a decent education.
Martin Luther King, Jr.