“The King Center is dedicated to educating the world on the life, legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., inspiring new generations to carry forward his unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower change-makers who are continuing his efforts today.”
The triple evils of poverty, racism, and militarism are forms of violence that exist in a vicious cycle. They are interrelated, all-inclusive, and stand as barriers to our living in the Beloved Community.
"Beloved Community- Term coined by philosopher Josiah Royce to denote an ideal community, used frequently by Dr. King to describe a society of justice, peace, and harmony which can be achieved through nonviolence."
“...We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force...”
Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech
“….Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time—the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression…”
The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life
“And there are three dimensions of any complete life to which we can fitly give the words of this text: length, breadth, and height. …the length….the inward concern for one’s own welfare….the breadth …is the outward concern for the welfare of others…and the height …is the upward reach for God. Now you got to have all three of these to have a complete life.”
“Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one’s self is very difficult…Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.”
What is your life’s blueprint?
“Always feel you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance…You’re going to be deciding …what your life’s work will be. Set out to do it well…..don’t just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better….Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that we win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”
“The rapid acceleration of change in race relations in the nation is occurring within the larger transformation of our political and economic structure….Negroes by themselves did not fragment the South; they facilitated a process that the changing economy of the nation began.”