The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'

— Martin Luther King

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.

— Martin Luther King

The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.

— Martin Luther King

The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

— Martin Luther King

The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.

— Martin Luther King

There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life's July and left standing amid the piercing chill of an alpine November.

— Martin Luther King

The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.

— Martin Luther King

The time is always right to do what is right.

— Martin Luther King

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

The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.

— Martin Luther King