We all know the most famous Martin Luther King Jr Quote, which starts with one of the most captivating lines ever spoken in all of history, “I have a dream.”
Who among us doesn’t have a dream? Do you?
A dream that seems impossible, a dream we want to make a reality, whether that’s to see our lives or the world changed for the better.
After a year like 2020, which was marked by an awakening for justice for black lives, Martin Luther King Jr’s words ring louder than ever.
May they ring in our ears and knock on the doors of our hearts. In 2021, the dream of equality, love, and freedom for all is more alive than ever.
At his heart, I believe that Martin Luther King Jr was a dreamer. He was an activist, a minister, a father and so much more to so many people throughout the years, but to me, he was a dreamer.
I too have a dream, and I hope that one day it will come to pass. What’s your dream?
As It’s All You Boo is dedicated to the dreamers, what better way to celebrate one of the world’s most famous dreamers, than by sharing a carefully curated collection of MLK quotes.
Beyond the political sentiments and fight for equality of the time, there is a running message of love, community, courage, greatness throughout all of Martin Luther King Jr’s quotes.
Dive in, and enjoy these inspirational quotes to celebrate MLK day or even Black History Month.
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Martin Luther King Jr Quotes on Faith and Hope
We cannot do anything successfully in life without FIRST having faith and hope that things will work out. Martin Luther King Jr is known as a man of faith, it strengthened him and encouraged him to push forward, even without seeing the outcome in his lifetime. This collection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr quotes encourages us to have faith, push past challenges and disappointment, to have hope regardless of what’s going on. Above all else, MLK quotes are grounded in faith and hope. Every dreamer needs hope and faith to have the confidence to try.
1. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
2. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
3. “Seeing is not always believing.”
4. “We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.”
“Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”
6. “Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles; Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.”
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Martin Luther King Jr Quotes About Never Giving Up
No matter how big your dreams are, or how impossible they may feel right now, never give up. Just thinking about how BIG Dr. King’s dreams were and how bold he was in pursuing them, at the time he did, gives me courage. This collection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr quotes encourage you to keep going, any way you can. That one day, your dream no matter how impossible it seems today can come to pass. There is an unstoppable force found within all MLK quotes. We should all celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
7. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
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8. “No person has the right to rain on your dreams.”
9. “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”
“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”
11. “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
A Life Worth Living by Martin Luther King Jr Quotes
Live a life worth living! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr has a lot to say about what truly living your life should mean for you. A life without meaning, without purpose and without something worth dying for, isn’t one worth living. It sounds extreme, but Dr. King was a passionate man living in desperate times. Are you desperate to change your life and achieve your dreams? If so, find your purpose, add depth and breadth to your life. These MLK quotes shine a spotlight on what living really means.
“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
13. “There is nothing more tragic than to find an individual bogged down in the length of life, devoid of breadth.”
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14. “No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for.”
15. “If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes on Greatness
You too can be great! The cure for a life void of meaning is to aspire to greatness, in the little things. According to this collection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr quotes, every single one of us is capable of being great. Dr. King shares that greatness is found in serving others and doing the small things in a great way. Furthermore, these MLK quotes reassure you that success and greatness are not found in fancy cars and dollar signs, but in your strong relationships with others. What are your priorities?
16. “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
17. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”
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“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A woman should do her job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”*
19. “We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind.”
Live Your Life According to Martin Luther King Jr Quotes
How are your emotions right now? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left no part of your life outside the preview of his talks and speeches, even the parts that aren’t visible to the naked eye. Dr. King dove deep into how you feel about others, your attitude in the face of adversity, and even how you feel about yourself. This selection of MLK quotes focuses on your internal life and encourages you to not hate, to resist bitterness, to find happiness, and to forgive.
20. “Let no woman pull you so low as to hate her.”*
“Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”
22. “Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.”
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23. “Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
“The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish that he might have done you a greater one.”
25. “You will change your mind; You will change your looks; You will change your smile, laugh, and ways but no matter what you change, you will always be you.”
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes on Love
Love is a powerful thing! It is able to change hearts and turn enemies into friends. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr shares deeply how hate is too hard a choice and love is the only option. This selection of MLK love quotes inspires you to choose love, not hate. That there is nothing you’ll face in your life that love cannot resolve, whether that’s love for yourself or another.
26. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
27. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”
28. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.”
30. “She who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”*
31. “Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.”
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Care for Others Martin Luther King Jr Quotes
Are you in it for yourself, or to lift others with you? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr encourages us to question our motives and our actions. This selection of MLK quotes asks the question, “who is it for?” That we must be better than simply doing this for ourselves.
32. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?‘”
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33. “Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.”
“Every woman must decide whether she will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”*
35. “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality.”
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes All About Community
What community do you belong to? Now think even larger than that, and beyond your inner circle to your widen human community as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr would. It’s not just about you, it’s about the sisterhood and brotherhood of the world. No matter who you are or what you’re trying to achieve, you can’t do this alone. This collection of MLK quotes are all about community, friendship, and why we need each other. More poignantly, these Martin Luther King Jr quotes teach us why we are all better together.
36. “We cannot walk alone.”
37. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
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38. “We must learn to live together as sisters or perish together as fools.”*
“The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.”
40. “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
Martin Luther King Jr Quotes on Leadership
Has the world ever had a more inspiring leader? It’s no surprise that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr quotes are some of the best leadership quotes of all time. With every word, almost at every speech, each of these MLK quotes encourages you to be brave, to do the right thing, not just for you, but for others. To Dr. King, leadership was leading by example, even when it’s uncomfortable and contrary to what some might believe.
“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
42. “The ultimate measure of a woman is not where she stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where she stands at times of challenge and controversy.”*
43. “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
44. “I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”
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Speak Up and Do What is Right Martin Luther King Jr Quotes
See injustice, speak out about injustice. Know what is right, then do it. It’s really is that simple for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is always the right time to stand up, speak up, and do what is right. Dr. King encourages us to not remain silent or blind to the matters of the world or if you yourself are being mistreated. This collection of MLK quotes encourage you to. Want to “change the world,” or even your world, then do it!
45. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
46. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
47. “The time is always right to do what is right.”
“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”
49. “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.”
50. “I came to the conclusion that there is an existential moment in your life when you must decide to speak for yourself; nobody else can speak for you.”
Powerful Lessons from Martin Luther King Jr.
How amazing is this collection of Martin Luther King Jr quotes?
It’s almost as if you can live your life according to Martin Luther King Jr. You could ask yourself, what would MLK do in this situation? Almost certainly, he would have faith, never give up, love, and care for others, lead by example, and not be afraid to do what is right.
The times have changed (somewhat…) but his words still ring true, they echo through time.
“I have a dream…that one day!” We can all relate!
No matter your situation, or the dreams you have for yourself, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr has powerful words of wisdom to guide you.
Be brave, push onwards through challenges, as MLK would.
*And of course, I could not resist changing the pronouns female to add a new perspective to some of these quotes.
Printable Quotes About Dreams
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May you celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18th by sharing his quotes and his story.
Even better still, may we all aspire to his ideals and commitment to non-violence, in our political and personal lives.
Hey dreamer, looking for motivation to never give up? Ready to make your dreams a reality? Click here for 50 Martin Luther King Jr. quotes that you'll love. #MartinLutherKing #MLK #QuotesToLiveBy #MLKDay
What’s your favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quote?
Last Updated on June 4, 2023
