MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. | In his own words

A few excerpts from some of his speeches:

“We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” — Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963, arguing that people have a moral duty to disobey unjust laws.

“After contemplation, I conclude that this award, which I receive on behalf of [the civil rights] movement, is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: The need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression.” — Acceptance speech upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize on Dec. 10, 1964, in Oslo, Norway. King announced he would donate the $54,123 prize to the civil rights movement.

“We are taking the black young men who had been crippled by our society and sending them 8,000 miles away to guarantee liberties in Southeast Asia which they had not found in southwest Georgia and East Harlem. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.” — Speech at Riverside Church in New York City opposing the Vietnam War, April 4, 1967.

“I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. … 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.” — April 3, 1968, speech on the eve of a protest march for striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tenn. The next day, King was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.