Civil Rights Quotes

• 

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

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Love, Inspirational, Life

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2012). “A Gift of Love: Sermons from Strength to Love and Other Preachings”, p.67, Beacon Press

  1217 Copy quote

  Show source
• 

  It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less

  Susan B. Anthony

  Strong Women, Equality, White

  Motto of The Revolution (newspaper), 8 Jan. 1868

  164 Copy quote

  Show source

• Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Courage, Integrity

  622 Copy quote
• 

  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.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

  Strength to Love (1963) ch. 3

  1430 Copy quote

  Show source
• 

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

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Inspiring, Meaningful

  276 Copy quote

• Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Respect, Rights, Giving

  "The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll", Vol VII, 2009.

  85 Copy quote

  Show source

• Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Wisdom, Peace, Kings

  "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 16 Apr. 1963

  191 Copy quote

  Show source

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

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Freedom, 4th Of July, Direct Action

  "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 16 Apr. 1963

  135 Copy quote

  Show source

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

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Friendship, Wisdom, Kings

  "The Trumpet of Conscience". Martin Luther King, Jr.'s steeler lecture at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, November 17, 1957.

  449 Copy quote

  Show source

• We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Life, Motivational, Respect

  Speech at St. Louis, 22 Mar. 1964, in St Louis Post-Dispatch 23 Mar. 1964

  292 Copy quote

  Show source

• I knew someone had to take the first step. So I made up my mind not to move.

  Rosa Parks

  Moving, Mind, Firsts

  "Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope, and the Heart of a Woman who Changed a Nation".

  81 Copy quote

  Show source

• This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened ... It ought to to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his color.

  John F. Kennedy

  Inspiring, Equality, Men

  Civil Rights Address, delivered 11 June 1963

  24 Copy quote

  Show source

• Democracy is not the law of the majority but the protection of the minority.

  Albert Camus

  Law, Democracy, Majority

  76 Copy quote

• The civil rights movement didn't begin in Montgomery and it didn't end in the 1960s. It continues on to this very minute.

  Julian Bond

  Freedom, Equality, Rights

  225 Copy quote

• If we don't believe in free expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.

  Noam Chomsky

  Inspirational, Relationship, Freedom

  Interview with John Pilger on BBC's "The Late Show", November 25, 1992.

  127 Copy quote

  Show source

• Let me go over this again on the reclaiming the civil rights movement. People of faith that believe that you have an equal right to justice - that is the essence. And if it's not the essence, then we've been sold a pack of lies. The essence is everyone deserves a shot - the content of character, not the color of skin.

  Glenn Beck

  Lying, Believe, Character

  "Glenn Beck on 'Restoring Honor' Rally, America's future and His Critics". "Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace", www.foxnews.com. August 29, 2010.

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear

  Aung San Suu Kyi

  Inspirational, Motivational, Peace

  66 Copy quote

• The time is always right to do what is right.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Positive, Inspiring

  "This Dallas Boy's MLK Jr. Speech Is Such A Sweet Message For Today's World" by Sarah Friedmann, www.bustle.com. January 2018.

  219 Copy quote

  Show source

• In giving rights to others which belong to them, we give rights to ourselves and to our country

  John F. Kennedy

  Country, Rights, Giving

  Kennedy, John F. (1963). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1962”, p.703, Best Books on

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.

  Nelson Mandela

  Inspirational, Motivational, Inspiring

  Twitter post from Mar 21, 2016

  29 Copy quote

  Show source

• Knowing what must be done does away with fear.

  Rosa Parks

  Inspiring, Strong Women, Fear

  Rosa Parks, Gregory J. Reed (1994). “Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope, and the Heart of a Woman who Changed a Nation”, Zondervan

  45 Copy quote

  Show source

• When the women's liberation movement began, when people began protesting against the Vietnam War, civil rights movement, at the beginning of those movements, the majority of the country was not with them, did not believe in the basic principles of any of those philosophies.

  Michael Moore

  Country, Philosophy, War

  8 Copy quote

• Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Education, Character, School

  Martin Luther King (1992). “The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr”, p.124, Univ of California Press

  56 Copy quote

  Show source
• 

  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.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Motivational, Inspiring

  1007 Copy quote

• Civil Rights opened the windows. When you open the windows, it does not mean that everybody will get through. We must create our own opportunities.

  Mary Frances Berry

  Hippie, Mean, Opportunity

  "Civil Rights Commission Chair Highlights Celebration of Martin Luther King's Life". newsinfo.iu.edu. January 15, 2002.

  17 Copy quote

  Show source