Today, at this moment, more than ever, the words of Dr. King inspire and give hope. Let’s acknowledge that words of wisdom are always in fashion, and so pause our focus on the red carpet and pay homage to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King whose wisdom continues to resonate:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.“

“We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop… I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.”

“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.” From his famous August 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. 

“You can kill the dreamer, but you can’t kill the dream.”

“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.“ Strength to Love, 1963.

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.“ Washington National Cathedral, March 31, 1968.

“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.“ Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” Stride Toward Freedom, 1958

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964.

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Letter from Birmingham, Alabama jail, April 16, 1963.