The Top 7 Most Memorable Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

It’s that time of year when we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. and we see everyone sharing his quotes all around the web.

I have a feeling that Martin Luther King Jr. would feel better if the words he eloquently spoke from his heart were being practiced.

It is nice to see, though, when many people pay tribute to a man who truly transformed the world, even though he didn’t live to see his 40th birthday.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of my super heroes. I am happy to celebrate this man today.

He was a Christian leader who was unapologetic about his beliefs, his mission, and his movement. 

BUT, I confess I had no idea who Martin Luther King Jr. was until I moved to the USA and wondered why he had his own holiday. 

Through his words, but most importantly, through his example, Martin Luther King Jr. taught us the power of positive words, the power of a positive mindset, and the power of inspired action.

I had to go past the quotes and “wise sayings” and really study his life, read his “I have a dream” speech, read his letters, especially those he wrote from jail. 

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize for his courage to demand that a [wo]man be judged by the content of their character, not by appearances, and to question what we are doing for others, rather than focusing on ourselves.

This practice is probably impossible to do 100%, but I think if we strive just to be better each day, percentages stop mattering so much.

We don’t need perfect people, we need people who are committed to seeing color, to see challenges, to see injustice.

No perfection required. We just need to start with our own beliefs and behaviors.

We must create a more diverse world by starting with our own immediate world.

Learning about Martin Luther King Jr. inspired me to be more passionate about diversity, inclusion, and representation.

It is something I point out in everything I see so my children learn to see it, including the media, our church, our community, and ourselves.

To really honor Martin Luther King Jr., we must seek to understand our own biases and isms.

As a female Hispanic immigrant, I am part of a marginalized community, but I also recognize we all have privilege in some way.

I strive to be an example to my children of what Martin Luther King Jr. taught and to invite them to reflect on it as I succeed and fail at it on a daily basis.

Following in MLK’s Footsteps

Last year, when I went to Atlanta as the keynote speaker for the Boy Scouts of America Licensing Summit, I had the honor to visit Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s grave, home, church, and Historic Site.

It was cold and I had major pregnancy sickness, but I didn’t even attempt to miss it. 

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I only have one picture – and it turned out horribly because of the inclement weather, but it’s one of my favorites because many people take their gifts, their ideas, and their potential with them to the grave.

Though it breaks my heart to know Martin Luther King Jr. was taken so abruptly, I smiled because he gave his all to teach and model for us a new way to BE.

When I was being recognized as one of the 100 Top Latina Influencers of the U.S.A., I was able to visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and The Capitol of the United States.

Then during my visit to St. Jude Hospital in Tennessee, I also visited the Civil Rights Museum and the Lorraine Hotel.

We have come a long way and yet, we do still have a long way to go.

7 Most Positive and Most Memorable Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes 

There are probably thousands of Martin Luther King Jr. quotes and they are all positive and memorable, however, these ones really speak to the transformation we must go through in order to make a positive difference.

 “We must learn to live together as BROTHERS or perish together as fools.”  ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. understood that we are brothers and sisters, no matter how different we may seem in our appearance, preferences, or personalities.

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The more I grow in my journey through Earth, the more I understand that it is impossible to hurt another without hurting oneself.

  “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only LIGHT can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only LOVE can do that.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

This Martin Luther King, Jr. quote may just be the most popular one, and yet, there is so much hatred everywhere.

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I know it’s hard to forgive sometimes because some people really do hurt us by saying mean words or doing mean things.

At the same time, many offenses are merely interpretations (read: someone decided to take something personally).

I have made it a practice to send love to anyone that says or does something cruel to me and it does drive out the darkness and hate, and even prevents it from even showing up.

 “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of CHALLENGE and controversy.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Many people will say who they are, and then one day they show who they are – you know what I mean? 

You learn a lot about people when they don’t get what they want. Right?

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Martin Luther King, Jr. showed us that following our dreams does not happen in our comfort zone and when it’s convenient, and that controversy is where we show our heart.

That’s why they say “hard times reveal true friends,” and I know that in hard situations and under hard conditions and circumstances we do some intense self-discovery that reveals who we are and what we are made of (or not).

 “As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to TRANSFORM the suffering into a CREATIVE FORCE. I decided to follow the latter course.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

This is my favorite quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. because it truly shows us the essence of positive thinking to end suffering.

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In one of his letters to Coretta Scott King, he consoled her saying “our suffering is not in vain,” even though he really didn’t know how it would work out. She was pregnant at the time!

We don’t have to suffer to create, but if we must suffer, we must create. Does that make sense?

 “He who PASSIVELY ACCEPTS evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. wasn’t joking with this one.

There are many ills and evils in society and though we must honor the people of the past who had to endure so much so it could get better, we know there is a lot of discrimination still.

Our African American friends and family are not the only ones to suffer discrimination, but if we are honest, they remain the main target of injustice in the United States.

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Let’s be intentional to call evil evil and not evil good.

I know many people dislike me for this in some circles because I speak my mind, but so be it. I didn’t come to earth to get anyone’s approval.

It is my duty to protest even if I see no chance that change will ever happen. I will do my part – will you?

It is not only necessary to speak up to end systemic racism, but we must support our Black brothers and sisters with our actions – and our pockets.

“The question is not whether we will be EXTREMISTS but what kind of extremists we will be?.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lukewarm often tastes nasty. Amiright?

It’s terrifying to pick a side when the side you’re picking doesn’t look so fun – or even safe, but you must when you know it’s the right side.

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Like MLK Jr. himself said: “The time is always right to do what is right.” 

If someone wants to label me an extremist, then I want to be a proud extremist for LOVE, for equality, and justice.

Diversity, inclusion, and representation are my passion and I want to influence and impact change in those areas, so my commitment is strong.

“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.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

There is a lot we can’t do, but Martin Luther King, Jr. assured us, there is still something we can do.

What can you do today to move forward toward your dream? Your cause? Your movement?

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I’m writing this post today and talking to my children about this visionary man that gave us so much.

Today, and around the world, we still face the same challenges. Racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, antisemitism, ageism, body shaming, and violation of human rights, animal rights, and rights of all kinds.

May we learn to not only quote Martin Luther King Jr. on a designated day on the calendar but to live his legacy and model it to others.

Do you have a favorite MLK quote? Please share it with us below and tell us how you are honoring him today.

Happy #MLKday!

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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