35 Inspiring Motivational Education Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

Nobel Peace Prize winner and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. remains a pivotal figure in the history of the United States, long after his death. On the 3rd Monday in January, we observe and celebrate his life and legacy. Here are 35 inspiring motivational education Martin Luther King Jr quotes that you can share in your classrooms to spark discussion.

Who Was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.?

According to Biography.com:

Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist who had a seismic impact on race relations in the United States, beginning in the mid-1950s.

Among his many efforts, King headed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Through his activism and inspirational speeches, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African American citizens in the United States, as well as the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, among several other honors. He continues to be remembered as one of the most influential and inspirational African American leaders in history.

King was killed by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968.

He is credited with being a central force in the civil rights movement in the United States.

Education Motivational Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr quotes on education
A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think. -MLK quotes on education
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.
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.

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.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.
The time is always right to do what is right.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.
Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.
The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. -Martin Luther King Jr quotes on education

I too often find that most college men have a misconception of the purpose of education.
Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.
At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose.
To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. – Martin Luther King Jr quotes on education
Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.
Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society.
We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.
Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. -MLK Jr quotes on education

Many of these quotes from Martin Luther King Jr came from his essay, “The Purpose of Education.

More Motivational Martin Luther King Jr Quotes

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.
Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.

Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
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 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.
I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.

We hope you share these famous quotes on Martin Luther King Jr. day to help remind little children of MLKs life’s work.

cherry blossoms at the MLK Jr memorial in Washington DC

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Patty Holliday

Patty Holliday is the owner and creator of all things No-Guilt Universe. As a lifelong fangirl and pop culture connoisseur, she’s been creating online since 2009. You can find her work at No-Guilt Disney.com, No-Guilt Fangirl.com, No-Guilt Life, and as host of the top-rated No-Guilt Disney Podcast.

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