--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a drum major for justice, peace and…" description: "\"I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.\" — Martin Luther King, Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png" --- # I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness. ![“I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png) > “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership in justice requires humility and service, not personal glory. **In simple terms:** True leadership serves justice, peace, and righteousness. Key Takeaway Serve others, not yourself. Themes justice leadership humility Mood determined inspirational Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - community organizing - peaceful protest - teaching - mentoring Key Concepts civil rights ethical service Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be a “drum major” for justice? - How can you lead without seeking fame? A Different Perspective Focusing on personal ambition can dilute the mission. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drum major](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drum-major/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Memorial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memorial/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteousness/) ## Related quotes > [We wish peace, but we wish the peace of justice, the peace of righteousness. We wish it because we think it is right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/we-wish-peace-but-we-wish-the-peace-of-justice-the-peace-of/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Another picture I hope to be remembered by is this one of the drum major rehearsing at the University of Michigan. It was early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-eisenstaedt/another-picture-i-hope-to-be-remembered-by-is-this-one-of-the-drum/) [Alfred Eisenstaedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-eisenstaedt/) > [By the time I graduated, I was the drum major, the highest-ranking officer, and third in my class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/by-the-time-i-graduated-i-was-the-drum-major-the-highest-ranking/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I just want to leave a committed life behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-just-want-to-leave-a-committed-life-behind/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-won-t-have-any-money-to-leave-behind-i-won-t-have-the-fine-and/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-just-want-to-be-there-in-love-and-in-justice-and-in-truth-and-in/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-all-have-the-drum-major-instinct-we-all-want-to-be-important-to/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/yes-if-you-want-to-say-that-i-was-a-drum-major-say-that-i-was-a-drum-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Without justice, there can be no peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/without-justice-there-can-be-no-peace/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [If you want to be important-wonderful. If you want to be recognized-wonderful. If you want to be great-wonderful. But recognize that he who is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-you-want-to-be-important-wonderful-if-you-want-to-be-recognized/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-hope-of-a-secure-and-livable-world-lies-with-disciplined/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/if-i-can-help-somebody-as-i-pass-along-if-i-can-cheer-somebody-with-a/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [You only need a heart full of grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/you-only-need-a-heart-full-of-grace/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [True peace is found in the righteousness of God, not in the sentiment of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-a-dixon/true-peace-is-found-in-the-righteousness-of-god-not-in-the-sentiment/) [Carl A Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-a-dixon/) ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I’ve been to the Mountaintop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-ve-been-to-the-mountaintop/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-supreme-task-is-to-organize-and-unite-people-so-that-their-anger/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somebody must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and the chain of evil in the universe. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somebody-must-have-sense-enough-and-morality-enough-to-cut-off-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/darkness-is-only-driven-out-with-light-not-more-darkness/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [What seems so necessary today may not even be desirable tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/what-seems-so-necessary-today-may-not-even-be-desirable-tomorrow/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-negro-cannot-win-the-respect-of-his-oppressor-by-acquiescing-he/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity and it has worth,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whenever-you-are-engaged-in-work-that-serves-humanity-and-is-for-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-have-a-dream-that-one-day-even-the-state-of-mississippi-a-desert/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) [Explore all 1,210 Martin Luther King, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More Drum quotes > [The great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-great-issue-of-life-is-to-harness-the-drum-major-instinct/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [I feel like, with drum programming, the way I used to do it, I'd think of how somebody would play these drum patterns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tycho/i-feel-like-with-drum-programming-the-way-i-used-to-do-it-i-d-think/) [Tycho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tycho/) > [The evocative power of the drum can be compared to the Trinity. The drum's frame comes from the trunk of a tree, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-olatunji/the-evocative-power-of-the-drum-can-be-compared-to-the-trinity-the/) [Babatunde Olatunji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-olatunji/) > [It's interesting. I've known quite a few good athletes that can't begin to play a beat on the drum set. Most team sport is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/it-s-interesting-i-ve-known-quite-a-few-good-athletes-that-can-t/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [I can kind of play the piano and I've got a drum kit which I've been meaning to learn. And I am going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhod-gilbert/i-can-kind-of-play-the-piano-and-i-ve-got-a-drum-kit-which-i-ve-been/) [Rhod Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhod-gilbert/) > [I try to drum each day. It's therapeutic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-chippendale/i-try-to-drum-each-day-it-s-therapeutic/) [Brian Chippendale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-chippendale/) > [There is no music unless the drum and the drummer are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/there-is-no-music-unless-the-drum-and-the-drummer-are-one/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [“What I Will by Suheir Hammad I will not dance to your war drum. I will not lend my soul nor my bones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suheir-hammad/what-i-will-by-suheir-hammad-i-will-not-dance-to-your-war-drum-i-will/) [Suheir Hammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suheir-hammad/) > [We all have those friends that tick to their drum, and you don't want them to tick to anybody else's drum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-livingston/we-all-have-those-friends-that-tick-to-their-drum-and-you-don-t-want/) [Shaun Livingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-livingston/) > [Uh, aint it crazy how shit be? Thats why I flush it. I got the Tommy gun with the drum, thats percussion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/uh-aint-it-crazy-how-shit-be-thats-why-i-flush-it-i-got-the-tommy-gun/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [Ourchestra: So you haven't got a drum, just beat your belly. So I haven't got a horn-I'll play my nose. So we haven't any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/ourchestra-so-you-haven-t-got-a-drum-just-beat-your-belly-so-i-haven/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [I started getting back into buying old analog gear while we were recording. Lots of old drum machines and synths. It wasn't a conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-started-getting-back-into-buying-old-analog-gear-while-we-were/) [Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/) > [In the morning on Sunday, a drum is sounded at about 8 o'clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-brewster/in-the-morning-on-sunday-a-drum-is-sounded-at-about-8-o-clock/) [William Brewster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-brewster/) > [Portishead's production is just insane beats you would expect to be on a KRS-One album. But then there's this little white girl with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-holm/portishead-s-production-is-just-insane-beats-you-would-expect-to-be/) [Anders Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-holm/) > [I don't even like doing drum solos live; to me, it's like, 'Ehhh.' It doesn't really interest me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-portnoy/i-don-t-even-like-doing-drum-solos-live-to-me-it-s-like-ehhh-it-doesn/) [Mike Portnoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-portnoy/) Browse all 231 Drum quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and-righteousness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drum" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and-righteousness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/martin-luther-king-jr-127_drum_i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and_1281003.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” — Martin Luther King, Jr", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martin Luther King, Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was a drum major for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and-righteousness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/i-was-a-drum-major-for-justice-peace-and-righteousness/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```