Selected Quotes by Dr. King
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others? Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people. Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. 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. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict. Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, ut I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. |
Pickford Studios wishes to credit and thank Aaron Bratcher for his excellent work in creating the video montage above
|
Pickford Studios was delighted to discover this gem, one we confess we had not yet heard or read in our ongoing discovery of the works of Martin Luther King:
“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.” From the Transformed Non-Conformist Sermon In a sermon given at Temple Israel of Hollywood in 1965, Dr. King reminds us that, as in the case with all true wisdom, it has never been truer than it is right at this moment in history. Sermon at Temple Israel of Hollywood (February 26th, 1965)--Excerpt …There are certain technical words within every academic discipline which soon become stereotypes and clichés. Every academic discipline has its technical nomenclature. Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in psychology. It is the word "maladjusted." Certainly we all want to live the well adjusted life in order to avoid neurotic and schizophrenic personalities. But I must honestly say to you tonight my friends that there are some things in our world, there are some things in our nation to which I’m proud to be maladjusted, to which I call upon all men of goodwill to be maladjusted until the good society is realized. I must honestly say to you that I never intend to adjust myself to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I never intend to adjust myself to the madness of militarism and the self defeating effects of physical violence. And I say to you that I am absolutely convinced that maybe the world is in need for the formation of a new organization: "The International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment" -- men and women who will be as maladjusted as the prophet Amos who in the midst of the injustices of his day would cry out in words that echo across the centuries: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream;” as maladjusted as Abraham Lincoln who had the vision to see that this nation could not survive half slave and half free; as maladjusted as Thomas Jefferson who in the midst of an age amazingly adjusted to slavery would etch across the pages of history words lifted to cosmic proportions: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;” as maladjusted as Jesus of Nazareth that said to the men and women of his day: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.” And through such maladjustment we will be able to emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity to man into the bright and glittering daybreak of freedom and justice. |