--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My personal assessment is that Dr. King…" description: "\"My personal assessment is that Dr. King is the greatest American we have ever produced. I can argue for Lincoln, I can argue for FDR, but for my money,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/tavis-smiley-7372_arguing_my-personal-assessment-is-that-dr-king-i_1024017.jpg" --- # My personal assessment is that Dr. King is the greatest… ![“My personal assessment is that Dr. King is the greatest American we have ever produced. I can argue for Lincoln, I can argue for FDR, but for my money, King is the greatest American we have ever produced. His only weapon was love. He transforms a nation, transforms the world with one weapon and…” quote by Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/tavis-smiley-7372_arguing_my-personal-assessment-is-that-dr-king-i_1024017.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/tavis-smiley-7372_arguing_my-personal-assessment-is-that-dr-king-i_1024017.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b5/tavis-smiley-7372_arguing_my-personal-assessment-is-that-dr-king-i_1024017.jpg) > “My personal assessment is that Dr. King is the greatest American we have ever produced. I can argue for Lincoln, I can argue for FDR, but for my money, King is the greatest American we have ever produced. His only weapon was love. He transforms a nation, transforms the world with one weapon and that of course being again the weapon of love. So that for me, King is the quintessential example of everything that I could ever want to be in my lifetime.” [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. King’s power lay in love, which he used to inspire societal change, making him a moral exemplar for personal aspiration. **In simple terms:** King used love to change the world, showing how moral strength can inspire. Key Takeaway Embrace love as a guiding principle. Themes leadership morality inspiration Mood hopeful reflective Type inspirational biographical When to use this quote - social activism - personal development - community building Key Concepts nonviolent resistance ethical influence Questions to Reflect On - How can love be translated into actionable change? - What are the limits of love in leadership? A Different Perspective Love alone may not address systemic oppression without concrete policy changes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/king/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [My role on television is one of helping people reexamine the assumptions that they hold. I regard Dr. King. You would never hear me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/my-role-on-television-is-one-of-helping-people-reexamine-the/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [I used read about Dr. King a lot as a kid. Independently, from being assigned it or being told by my parents or anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/i-used-read-about-dr-king-a-lot-as-a-kid-independently-from-being/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [There's never been a film with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the center released in theaters. Ever! One does not exist. You've only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/there-s-never-been-a-film-with-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-at-the-center/) [Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/) > [One of the greatest men to ever walk this land was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His life exemplified unity by bringing people together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-greatest-men-to-ever-walk-this-land-was-dr-martin-luther/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A hashtag is not helping. A hashtag is not a movement. A hashtag does not make you Dr King. A hashtag does not change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shonda-rhimes/a-hashtag-is-not-helping-a-hashtag-is-not-a-movement-a-hashtag-does/) [Shonda Rhimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shonda-rhimes/) > [The crown jewel of Dr. King's movement was to protect the right to vote for all citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/the-crown-jewel-of-dr-king-s-movement-was-to-protect-the-right-to/) [Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/) > [I love Dr. King, but violence might be necessary; Cause when you live on MLK and it gets very scary, You might have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/i-love-dr-king-but-violence-might-be-necessary-cause-when-you-live-on/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [Dr. King used to say, 'I was sitting in the back of the bus, but my mind was always up front.' Don't let anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/dr-king-used-to-say-i-was-sitting-in-the-back-of-the-bus-but-my-mind/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [When Dr. King was murdered, I had no idea who he was. But as soon as I heard his words on television that night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/when-dr-king-was-murdered-i-had-no-idea-who-he-was-but-as-soon-as-i/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [It was only through the years that I realized what an absolutely extraordinarily thoughtful person Dr. King was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/it-was-only-through-the-years-that-i-realized-what-an-absolutely/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [Just as Dr. King was a disciple of Gandhi and Christ, we must now be Dr. King's disciples. Dr. King challenged us to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/just-as-dr-king-was-a-disciple-of-gandhi-and-christ-we-must-now-be-dr/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [There are many people making a difference. I mean, Dr. King never held an office. Gandhi never held an office. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-kucinich/there-are-many-people-making-a-difference-i-mean-dr-king-never-held/) [Dennis Kucinich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-kucinich/) > [Because Dr. King was human and not divine - although we think he was divine, he was just a man, an extraordinary man, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/because-dr-king-was-human-and-not-divine-although-we-think-he-was/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [And in the racial climate of this country today, it is anybody's guess which of the 'extremes' in approach to the black man's problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/and-in-the-racial-climate-of-this-country-today-it-is-anybody-s-guess/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [We forget now, but during his life, Dr. King wasn't always considered a unifying figure. Even after rising to prominence, even after winning the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-forget-now-but-during-his-life-dr-king-wasn-t-always-considered-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Tavis Smiley > [I think the issue of women's choice is essential for a woman being able to have their lives - if they cannot control their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/i-think-the-issue-of-women-s-choice-is-essential-for-a-woman-being/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [Leonard Pitts, Jr. is the most insightful and inspiring columnist of his generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/leonard-pitts-jr-is-the-most-insightful-and-inspiring-columnist-of/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [I believe there is nothing we endure in life that you can't recover from. Failure is not fatal. Everyone has the capacity to fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/i-believe-there-is-nothing-we-endure-in-life-that-you-can-t-recover/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [Why don't we scale up those things that do work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/why-don-t-we-scale-up-those-things-that-do-work/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [I think when I stop fighting, I die in a sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/i-think-when-i-stop-fighting-i-die-in-a-sense/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [The storm came. Lives were washed away. Ancient pains resurfaced. Now it is time for a sea of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/the-storm-came-lives-were-washed-away-ancient-pains-resurfaced-now-it/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [ \[John Carlos\] has spent much of his life since that time as a dedicated human rights advocate and public speaker, and he is out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/john-carlos-has-spent-much-of-his-life-since-that-time-as-a-dedicated/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [I love the fight. I don't - it's not a negative, it's a positive, and I love the challenge. There's that little part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/i-love-the-fight-i-don-t-it-s-not-a-negative-it-s-a-positive-and-i/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [This administration and these folk who run Washington are no more interested in our welfare and our well being than the man on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/this-administration-and-these-folk-who-run-washington-are-no-more/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [I'm talking about France and Germany and Italy and Spain - new friend Germany - and I love that story, how they lead the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/i-m-talking-about-france-and-germany-and-italy-and-spain-new-friend/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [Sometimes even your friends don't understand your calling, your purpose, your vocation. But you have to stand in your truth anyway, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavis-smiley/sometimes-even-your-friends-don-t-understand-your-calling-your/) [Tavis Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavis-smiley/) > [Fear, fear, breeds hopelessness. When you're afraid, you don't know what to believe in, you don't know what to hold on to. 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But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. Hatred is still manifested between Sunni and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/fasting-is-required-staying-away-from-fighting-and-arguing-and/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [You can argue that the Terminator movies reboot their world each time they go back in time, but that doesn't negate the value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hayter/you-can-argue-that-the-terminator-movies-reboot-their-world-each-time/) [David Hayter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hayter/) > [We may argue eloquently that 'Honesty is the best Policy' - unfortunately, the moment honesty is adopted for the sake of policy it mysteriously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/we-may-argue-eloquently-that-honesty-is-the-best-policy-unfortunately/) [Dorothy L. 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