In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. Martin Luther King, Jr. More Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr. More Quotes From Martin Luther King, Jr. I was much more afraid in Montgomery when I had a gun in my house. When I decided that I couldn’t keep a gun, I came face-to-face with the question of death and I dealt with it. From that point on, I no longer needed a gun nor have I been afraid. Had we become distracted by the question of my safety we would have lost the moral offensive and sunk to the level of our oppressors. Martin Luther King, Jr. safety gun house By opening our lives to God in Christ, we become new creatures. This experience, which Jesus spoke of as the new birth, is essential if we are to be transformed nonconformists . . . Only through an inner spiritual transformation do we gain the strength to fight vigorously the evils of the world in a humble and loving spirit. Martin Luther King, Jr. spiritual christian jesus The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists. Martin Luther King, Jr. creativity creative heart Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspirational war peace I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. Martin Luther King, Jr. being-strong love peace When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Martin Luther King, Jr. life-changing evil men Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. Martin Luther King, Jr. real education fiction What good does it do to sit at the counter when you cannot afford a hamburger? Martin Luther King, Jr. economic-inequality hamburgers struggle School takes 13 years, because that is how long it takes to break a child's spirit. Martin Luther King, Jr. children years school I am now convinced that the simplest approach will prove to be the most effective -- the solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a now widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income. Martin Luther King, Jr. income poverty prove A nation that will keep people in slavery for 244 years will "thingify" them and make them things. And therefore, they will exploit them and poor people generally economically. And a nation that will exploit economically will have to have foreign investments and everything else, and it will have to use its military might to protect them. All of these problems are tied together. What I'm saying today is that we must go from this convention and say, "America, you must be born again!" Martin Luther King, Jr. military wisdom years A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. Martin Luther King, Jr. leadership inspiring inspirational The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force. Martin Luther King, Jr. force tasks people A social movement that only moves people is merely a revolt. A movement that changes both people and institutions is a revolution. Martin Luther King, Jr. movement people moving It is always the right time to do the right thing. Martin Luther King, Jr. right-thing right-time 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. web-of-life powerful reality Was not Jesus an extremist in love? - "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you." Martin Luther King, Jr. love-you inspirational jesus No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity Martin Luther King, Jr. dignity-of-work uplifting humanity We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifices. Capitalism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor, both black and white, both here and abroad. Martin Luther King, Jr. black-and-white hard-work believe The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals. Martin Luther King, Jr. criminals may men
