Martin Luther King Quotes: 23 Inspirational Sayings For MLK Day 2017

The country honors Monday the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights leader who helped changed millions of lives in the United States. King, who was born Jan. 15, 1929 and was assassinated in April of 1968, remains an iconic figure. A beautiful orator, his words still ring true and have continued to inspire folks some 40 years after his death.

Listed below are 23 quotes from King to celebrate his remarkable life, collected from Twitter, The King Center archives, USA Today, the Deseret News and Inc.

1. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: Only love can do that."

2. "A riot is the language of the unheard."

3. "The time is always right to do what is right."

4. "Only in the darkness can you see the stars."

5. "I have a dream that one day right there in Alabama little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers."

6. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

7. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

8. "That old law about 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing."

9. "There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right."

10. "I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream."

11. "Mankind must put and end to war or war will put an end to mankind."

12. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

13. "We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."

14. "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

15. "Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude."

16. "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

17. "Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

18. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?''

19. "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

20. "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

21. "If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

22. "No person has the right to rain on your dreams."

23. "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."