Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last week we marked the anniversary of 45 years since the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. As a history major who studied the South, I am always captivated by him, his words, and his work. Today I am going to share some of my favorite of his quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” –Letter from a Birmingham Jail

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Midnight is a confusing hour when it is difficult to be faithful. The most inspiring word… is that no midnight long remains. The weary traveler by midnight who asks for bread is really seeking the dawn. Our eternal message of hope is that the dawn will come… The dawn will come. Disappointment, sorrow and despair are born at midnight, but morning follows.”

“Above the manyness of time stands the one eternal God, with wisdom to guide us, strength to protect us, and love to keep us. His boundless love supports and contains us as a mighty ocean contains and supports the tiny drops of every wave. With a surging fullness he is forever moving toward us, seeking to fill the little creeks and bays of our lives with unlimited resources.”

“You will then discover that unarmed love is the most powerful force in the world.”

–The final four quotes are taken from Strength to Love

If you’d like to read more, I recommend:

MLK’s book of sermons, called Strength to Love

On the subject of the Civil Rights Movement:

The Race Beat by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff: a fascinating read about the media’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.

The Schoolhouse Door: Segregation’s Last Stand at the University of Alabama, written by my professor and Dean of the Grady College of Journalism at The University of Georgia, Dr. Cully Clark (formerly at The University of Alabama).