MLK

“We’ve been in the mountain of war. We’ve been in the mountain of violence. We’ve been in the mountain of hatred long enough. It is necessary to move on now, but only by moving out of this mountain can we move to the promised land of justice and brotherhood and the Kingdom of God. It all boils down to the fact that we must never allow ourselves to become satisfied with unattained goals. We must always maintain a kind of divine discontent.”

-Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King Jr has been one of my greatest role models growing up to this day. He was a man full of wisdom and dreams and he never stopped chasing them until his last breath. He was a man who knew his purpose, and made it his mission to fulfill it. While surrounded by so much hate, unlike human nature, he chose to combat it with love. His view on life is especially inspiring in these moments where the world is driven by hate, racism, and injustice. He spoke against it in such a way that made people listen. He was an anointed man who evoked peace while he faced violence everyday. I want to live like that; to combat injustice with wisdom and respect even when it’s not reciprocated. I refuse to protest with the same violence aimed towards my way but to continue to speak my mind and attain as much knowledge as possible. As this legendary man who gave credit to God in all his successes I want to do the same. As he grew and remained humble, I aspire to do the same. As he chose to be the change and voice in a silent world with injustice abiding for far too long, I aim to do the same. And today on the day in which we commemorate him, I want to include some of his quotes which have continuously inspired me over the years.

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

If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.

I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

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.

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

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

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

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

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.