There are many Negros who will never fight for freedom, but they will gladly accept it when it comes—–DR. KING
If peace means accepting second class citizenship, then I don’t want it. If peace means keeping my mouth shut in the midst of evil and injustice, then I don’t want it. If peace means being complacent and accepting the status quo, then I don’t want it. If peace means being passive, then I don’t want it. If peace means a willingness to be exploited and humiliated, then that’s the kind of peace that I don’t want—-DR. KING (from his speech in Louisville Kentucky , 1956)
Negros threw eggs at me, when I spoke in New York —DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King) Having to live under the threat of death everyday, sometimes I feel discouraged. Having to take so much abuse and criticism from my own people, sometimes I feel discouraged. Having to go to bed often frustrated with the chilly winds of adversity about to stagger me, sometimes I feel discouraged and feel like my work is in vain, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
Negros must be honest enough to admit that our standards do often fall short. One of the true signs of maturity is the ability to rise to the point of self criticism. Even when that criticism comes from whites, we must pick out elements of truth in them. Our crime rate is far too high, and our level of cleanliness is far too low. Too often we live above our means, and spend money on nonessentials. We fail to give to serious causes and organizations. We are often loud and boisterous, and spend far too much on drinks. Even the most poverty stricken among us can purchase a 10 cents bar of soap, and even the most uneducated among us can have high morals—-DR. KING (from his book called, a Testament of Hope)
I am very much afraid that the Christian church of today will lose its value, and it will be seen as nothing more than a social club, with no meaning and no effectiveness for our time, a form without substance. In my travels I meet many young people of all races, and they are disappointed in the church, and some are outright disgusted——DR. KING (from his interview with Alex Haley)
So often I have been disappointed because we have not received the cooperation of the church. So often the church in our struggle had been a taillight, instead of a headlight—–DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King
) If your family attended a church, you would go to a Negro church. If you wanted to visit a church attended by white people, you would not be welcome. For although your white citizens would insist that they are Christians, but they practiced segregation as rigidly in the house of God, as they did in the theaters—-DR. KING (from his interview with Alex Haley)
I have been so greatly disappointed in the white church, and its leadership. I do no say this as one of the negative critics, who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the Gospel who loves the church. During the Montgomery bus boycott I thought we would get the support of the white church, but white ministers, priest and Rabbi’s have been some of our strongest opponents. I have watched white churches stand on the sideline saying those are issues with which the Gospel have no real concern. I have looked at their beautiful churches, and over and over again I have found myself asking what kind of people worship here, and who is their God? Why were their lips silent when Governor Wallace gave the clarion call for defiance and hatred? Yes these questions are still in my mind—–DR. KING (from his book called, a Testament of Hope)
The contemporary church is often a weak ineffectual voice, with an uncertain sound. It is so often the supporter of the status quo. The power structure is consoled by the church’s silence, but the judgment of God is upon the church as never before——DR. KING
If you attended a Negro church and you wanted to play it safe. You might select a church that didn’t have a pastor with a reputation for speaking out on Civil Rights—–DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
In my talk with black ministers, I inform them that you can’t preach the glories of Heaven, while ignoring social conditions in your own community that causes men to live an earthly hell—–DR. KING (from his interview with Alex Haley)
We have a right to look to the church for leadership, because the church is suppose to be the moral protectors of the community. You have some ministers that are afraid to take a vocal stand, because they fear losing a church, and some people are willing to stand up and lose a church and be damned if necessary, but I’m afraid we don’t have enough people committed—DR. KING (interview with Mike Wallace,1958)
Both political parties have betrayed the cause of justice. The Democrats have betrayed it by capitulating to the prejudice, and undemocratic practices of the Southern Dixiecrats . The Republicans have betrayed it by capitulating to the blatant hypocrisy of the right wing reactionary Northerners—–DR. KING
I made it a point not to endorse any candidate publicly, the SCLC we are a non-partisan organization. Frankly I did not feel at that time that there was much difference, between Kennedy and Nixon. I could find some things in the back ground of both men that I didn’t agree with. I never came out with an endorsement for either party. I took this position in order to maintain a non-partisan posture. Which I have followed all along, in order to be able to look objectively at both parties, at all times—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
I don’t profess to have much political knowledge. I would not go out and endorse either party. I see some short comings in both parties, and some good in both parties, but I would not endorse either party—-DR. KING (interview with Mike Wallace, 1958)
Although popular Negro leaders are now emerging, most of them are still selected by white leadership, elevated to positions, supplied with resources and inevitably subjected to white control. The masses of Negros are suspicious toward this manufactured leader. We have to create leaders that have virtues that we can respect, who have moral and ethical principles that we can applaud. We have to refuse crumbs from the big city machine, and demand a fair share of the loaf—DR. KING (from his book called, a Testament of Hope)
Too often many of us live above our means. Do you ever see people buy cars that they can’t even began to afford based on their income. You’ve seen people riding around in Cadillac’s and Chryslers, who don’t earn enough money to have a good T-Model Ford, but it feeds a repressed ego. Your automobile shouldn’t cost any more than half of your annual income. So if you make 5000 dollars a year, your car shouldn’t cost anymore than 2500, so often you see people making 5000 dollars a year, and driving a car that cost 6000 dollars, and they wonder why their ends never meet. You see people living their lives trying to live like the Joneses. They got to get this coat because it’s a little better looking than Mary’s coat, and they feel they got to drive this car because it’s a little better than their neighbors car. If not controlled this kind of behavior can become destructive—-DR. KING (from his speech called, The Drum Major Instinct)
Blacks are 11% of the American population, and consume 40% of the Scotch Whisky imported to the U.S., and spend 72 million at the jewelry store, and when we come asking for Civil Rights donations Negros are just trying to make ends me—DR. KING
I hope our generation hasn’t come to the point where men only look for beauty in a woman. A marriage that is only based on beauty does not have the stability, and endurance to last. One must discover the soul of beauty, before he has really discovered the meaning of love—-DR. KING
Premarital sex is a contributing factor to the break down of the family. If a man breaks a relationship with you because you would not allow him to have sex, then you can be assured that he did not love you from the beginning—-DR. KING
I had to have a wife who was as dedicated to the struggle as I was. I wish I could say that I lead her down this path, but I must say we went down it together. Coretta she was actively involved in the struggle when we meet. A wife can either make or break a husband, my wife was always stronger than I was in the struggle. Coretta proved to be the type of wife with the qualities to make a husband, that could have been so easily broken. In the darkest moment she always brought the light of hope. I am convinced that if I had not had a wife with the fortitude, strength and calmness of Coretta. I could not have withstood the ordeals and tension surrounding the Movement. If I have done anything in this struggle, it is because I had beside me a devoted, understanding and dedicated wife—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
There are millions of Negros devoid of pride and self respect, and they will accept injustice. Then you have other Negros that are comfortable and complacent, and they consider themselves above the struggle—-DR. KING (from his interview, with Alex Haley)
When I first took my position against the war in Vietnam , almost every newspaper criticized me. It was a low period in my life, and it wasn’t just white people either, it was Negros . Negro newspapers were criticizing me, even fellow Civil Rights Leaders and members of Congress were criticizing me, for not sticking to the business of Civil Rights. Something said to me Martin, you have got to stand up on this, no matter what it means. I came to the conclusion that there are moments in your life, when you must speak for yourself. Nobody else can speak for you—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
If you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it. Then you are not fit to live. You might be 38 years old as I happen to be, and one day you are called upon to stand up for some great principle or cause, and you refuse because you are afraid. You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You are afraid that you will lose your job. You are afraid that you will be criticized by others. You are afraid that you will lose your popularity, or you are afraid that somebody will stab you, or shoot at you, or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand. Well you may go on and live to be 90 years old, but you are already dead. You died when you refused to stand up for right. You died when you refused to stand up for truth. You died when you refused to stand up for justice. Don’t ever think that you are by yourself. Go to jail if necessary, but you never go alone. Take a stand for that which you know is right. The world might misunderstand you and criticize you, but you are never alone. One with God is the majority—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
I knew I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos, without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today. Which is my own government—–DR. KING (from his speech called, Beyond Vietnam )
I wish I was draft age, I tell you this morning I would not fight in the war in Vietnam . I’d go to jail before I would do it, and I say to the Federal government or anybody else, they can just as well get ready to convict me. I’m going to continue to tell young men, not to go and fight in this war—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King, page number 345)
I remember when Negros were just going around scratching where they didn’t itch, and laughing when they were not tickled, but those days are all over. We mean business now, and we are determined to gain our rightful place in the world—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
God didn’t call America to do what she’s doing in the world now. God didn’t call America to engage in a senseless unjust war, as the war in Vietnam . We are criminals in that war. We’ve committed more war crimes, than almost any nation in the world, and I’m going to continue to say it. America won’t stop it because of our pride and arrogance as a nation, but God has a way of even putting Nations in their place. The God that I worship has a way of saying, don’t play with me. Be still and know that I am God, and if you don’t stop your reckless course. I’ll rise up and break the backbone of your power, and that can happen to America —-DR. KING (from his speech called, The Drum Major Instinct)
The sanitation worker that picks up our garbage, is as significant as the physician. For if he doesn’t do his job disease are rampant. All labor has dignity—DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
If one black person suffers, if one black person is down, then we are all down. The Negro haves must join hands with the Negro have nots—–DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
The American Negro can not afford to destroy its leadership. Men of talent are too scarce to be destroyed by envy, greed, and tribal rivalry before they reach their maturity—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
The question of self defense was unnecessary, since few people were suggesting that Negros should not defend themselves as individuals when attacked. The question was not whether one should use his gun when his home was attacked, but whether it was wise to use a gun while participating in an organized demonstration—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King, page number 317)
I come by here to say that America to is going to hell, if we don’t use her wealth. If America does not use her vast resources of wealth to end poverty, and make it possible for all of God’s children to have the basic necessities of life, she to will go to hell—–DR. KING (March 18th, 1968 from his speech given to the sanitation workers in Memphis Tennessee)
America will be faced with more violence and rioting. As long as Negros are in rat filled ghettos, as long as Negros remain smothered by poverty in this wealthy society, as long as Negros are made to feel like exiles in their own country, as long as Negros are dehumanized. The more injustice in a community, the more violence or potential for violence you will have in that community—-DR. KING (from his interview, with Alex Haley)
In every one of us there is a Civil War going on in our lives, I don’t care who you are, I don’t care where you live. There is a Civil War going on in your life. Every time you set out to be good, there is something pulling on you telling you to be evil. Every time you set out to love, something keeps pulling on you trying to get you to hate. Every time you set out to be kind and say nice things about people, something is pulling on you to be jealous, and envious, and spread gossip about them. There is a Civil War going on in your life. God knows that his children are weak, and they are frail, but in the final analysis God requires that your heart be right—–DR. KING
Malcolm X was an eloquent spokesman for his point of view, and no one can honestly doubt that Malcolm had a great concern for the problem, that we face as a race. While we did not always see eye to eye on methods to solve the race problem, I always had a deep affection for Malcolm—-DR. KING (from the Autobiography of Dr. King)
Dr. King works 20 hours a day, travels 325,000 miles and makes 450 speeches a year on behalf of the Negro cause, and he still finds the time to visit the sick and help the poor, among his congregation at Ebenezer Baptist church—ALEX HALEY (from his interview, with Dr. King)