Action Quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr

From my Christian formation've gotten my ideals and technique Gandhi action

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Education without social action is a one-sided value because it has no true power potential.

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Every person must stand up and be accountable, but be responsible for their actions.

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Voting is the foundation stone for political action.

— Martin Luther King, Jr

To accept injustice or segregation passively is to say to the oppressor that his actions are morally right.

— Martin Luther King, Jr

“We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface hidden tension that…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

The more I thought about human nature, the more I saw how our tragic inclination for sin/mistakes causes us to use our…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

It is our experience that the nation doesn't move around questions of genuine equality for the poor and for black people until…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

There is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

In the current struggle, there is one positive course of action. There is no alternative, for the alternative would connote a rear…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Nonviolent action, the Negro saw, was the way to supplement, not replace, the progress of change. It was the way to divest…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Whatever we do, we must keep God in the forefront. Let us be Christian in all of our actions. But I want…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

The nonviolent approach does not immediately change the heart of the oppressor. It first does something to the hearts and souls of…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

There is such a thing as the freedom of exhaustion. Some people are so worn down by the yoke of oppression that…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

I'm thinking of love in action and not something where you say, "Love your enemies," and just leave it at that, but…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

History will have to recordThat the greatest tragedy of this period of social transitionWas not the vitriolic words and the violent actions…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Communism will never be defeated by atomic bombs. Our greatest defense against Communism is to take offensive action on behalf of justice…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

We must move past indecision to action. We must find new ways to speak for peace in Vietnam and for justice throughout…

— 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…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

It is a strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills.…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Education without social action is a one-sided value because it has no true power potential. Social action without education is a weak…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

In a world facing the revolt of ragged and hungry masses of God's children; in a world torn between the tensions of…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

I also came to see that liberalism's superficial optimism concerning human nature caused it to overlook the fact that reason is darkened…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

Education without direction is a one-sided social value. Direct action without education is a meaningless expression of pure energy.

— Martin Luther King, Jr

We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

The purpose of direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.

— Martin Luther King, Jr

We had no alternative except that of preparing for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of…

— Martin Luther King, Jr

We decided to set our direct-action program around the Easter season, realizing that, with exception of Christmas, this was the largest shopping…

— Martin Luther King, Jr