# The most famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes

From "I have a dream" to "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" and "I've been to the mountaintop": Martin Luther King Jr.'s best-known words, with the speech, letter or book they come from.

- 69 votes · 11 items
- Apr 2, 2021 · Bree Nguyen
- https://even.best/en/l/4849/the-most-famous-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes

## Top 11

1. **I have a dream that my four little children ... will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.** (9 · ▲10 ▼1) — "I Have a Dream", Washington, 28 August 1963.
2. **Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.** (6 · ▲7 ▼1) — Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 1963.
3. **The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.** (5 · ▲6 ▼1) — "How Long, Not Long", Montgomery, 25 March 1965.
4. **Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'** (5 · ▲6 ▼1) — Speech in Montgomery, 1957.
5. **I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.** (5 · ▲5 ▼0) — "Where Do We Go from Here?", 16 August 1967.
6. **The time is always right to do what is right.** (3 · ▲4 ▼1) — Address at Oberlin College, 22 October 1964.
7. **Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.** (2 · ▲4 ▼2) — Strength to Love (1963).
8. **Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is a weapon unique in history, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it.** (2 · ▲4 ▼2) — Why We Can't Wait (1964).
9. **I've been to the mountaintop... I may not get there with you. But we, as a people, will get to the promised land.** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — "I've Been to the Mountaintop", Memphis, 3 April 1968, the day before his assassination.
10. **Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!** (0 · ▲2 ▼2) — "I Have a Dream", closing words, 28 August 1963.
11. **We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.** (-1 · ▲3 ▼4) — Speech in St. Louis, 22 March 1964.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.