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Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2027 falls on Monday, January 18. It honors Dr. King, who was born on January 15, 1929, and it is also a national day of service.
Every quote below by Dr. King is checked against the speech, sermon or book it comes from, and the source is named under it. Tap to copy.
Famous Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes
The words most often shared on the day, each from a speech or book.
From the "I Have a Dream" speech (1963)
Delivered at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.
- I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.I Have a Dream, 1963
- With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.I Have a Dream, 1963
- Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.I Have a Dream, 1963
- Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.I Have a Dream, 1963
- Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.I Have a Dream, 1963
- Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.I Have a Dream, 1963
From "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963)
Written in April 1963, from a jail cell, in reply to clergymen who asked him to wait.
- Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
- We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
- 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, 1963
- We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
- We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
- One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963
From the Nobel Peace Prize lecture (1964)
Accepted in Oslo on December 10, 1964.
- 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.Nobel Peace Prize lecture, 1964
- I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.Nobel Peace Prize lecture, 1964
- 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.Nobel Peace Prize lecture, 1964
From "Strength to Love" (1963) and "Where Do We Go from Here"
Two of his books, and the speech that gave the second one its name.
- 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.Strength to Love, 1963
- Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.Strength to Love, 1963
- Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.Where Do We Go from Here
- We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.Beyond Vietnam, 1967
Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes on Love and Forgiveness
For a card, a sermon, or a day when someone has hurt you. Most come from his 1957 sermon "Loving Your Enemies," later part of Strength to Love.
- Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- Forgiveness means reconciliation, a coming together again.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity.Loving Your Enemies, 1957
- I've seen too much hate to want to hate myself; hate is too great a burden to bear.The American Dream, 1965
- I have decided to love. - Where Do We Go from Here, 1967
Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes on Justice and Equality
For the fight that is still not finished.
- The time is always right to do what's right.The Future of Integration, 1964
- How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.How Long, Not Long, 1965
- I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.The Other America, 1968
- Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning.I Have a Dream, 1963
Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes on Service and Community
The quotes behind the Day of Service, when the day is a day on, not a day off.
- Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'Conquering Self-centeredness, 1957
- Every person must decide at some point, whether they will walk in light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.Conquering Self-centeredness, 1957
- Say that I was a drum major for justice; say that I was a drum major for peace; I was a drum major for righteousness.The Drum Major Instinct, 1968
- No individual can live alone; no nation can live alone. We are tied together.Remaining Awake, 1965
- We must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools.A Christmas Sermon, 1967
- The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others.Strength to Love, 1963
Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes on Education and Faith
For a school bulletin board, a graduation card or a Sunday post.
- There is little hope for us until we become toughminded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and downright ignorance.Strength to Love, 1963
- Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.Strength to Love, 1963
- Science investigates; religion interprets.Strength to Love, 1963
- The greatness of our God lies in the fact that He is both toughminded and tenderhearted.Strength to Love, 1963
- Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.Strength to Love, 1963
- The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood.Strength to Love, 1963
- Life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony.Strength to Love, 1963
Short Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes for Posts and Captions
Under 15 words each, for a story, a status or the top of a slide.
- Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.I've Been to the Mountaintop, 1968
- I've been to the mountaintop.I've Been to the Mountaintop, 1968
- I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you.I've Been to the Mountaintop, 1968
- Love is the way. Love is the only absolute.The American Dream, 1965
- Hate distorts the personality.The American Dream, 1965
- A man cannot ride your back unless it is bent. - Where Do We Go from Here, 1967
- It is either non-violence or non-existence.Address to Cornell College, 1962
- If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. - Where Do We Go from Here, 1967
- I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. - Where Do We Go from Here, 1967
Happy MLK Day Messages
Original messages for a text, a card or a class note. These are ours, not King's.
- Wishing you a thoughtful Martin Luther King Jr. Day. May we honor his dream by how we treat each other, today and every day.
- Today we remember a man who believed love could change a nation. May his courage stay with us all year.
- Happy MLK Day. Let us turn a day off into a day of doing something good for someone.
- Dr. King gave us a dream. It is our job to keep building it, one kind act at a time.
- On this MLK Day, may we listen more, judge less and stand up when something is not right.
- Remembering Dr. King with gratitude for his courage, his faith and his hope. Have a meaningful day.
- Wishing you and your family a peaceful MLK Day. Let us pass his message of equality on to the next generation.
- Thank you, Dr. King, for showing us that peaceful action can move a country. We are still learning from you.
- Happy MLK Day to our team. Let us carry his spirit of fairness and respect into everything we do.
- To our students: today we remember a leader who dreamed of a fairer world. What will you do to help build it?
- May today remind us that justice is not only a speech to remember but a way to live.
- Grateful for the people who marched, sat in, sang and sacrificed so that others could be free. Happy MLK Day.
- Wishing you a day of reflection, service and hope. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Small acts of kindness are a good way to honor a big dream. Happy MLK Day.
MLK Day Captions for Instagram
Short lines for a march photo, a volunteering picture or a quote graphic.
- Keep the dream alive ✊🏾
- Service is the best way to say thank you
- A day on, not a day off
- Honoring Dr. King today and always
- Kindness is the loudest thing we can share
- Still marching, still hoping
- Love wins when we show up
- Doing good in his name
- Dreams need doers 🌍
- Justice, peace and a little bit of courage
- Remember. Reflect. Serve.
- Building the beloved community, one act at a time
- Equal and free, that is the dream
- Today we serve 🤝
- Small acts, big dream
- Standing with those who stood first
- The dream is unfinished, so let's get to work
- Hope looks good in a crowd of people who care
- Grateful for the ones who marched before us
- Courage is contagious ✨
- Peace begins with the way we treat one another
- Never too small to serve
- One day, one dream, one community
- Walking his path, one good deed at a time
Day of Service Ideas
MLK Day has been a national day of service since 1994. These ideas take an hour or a full day, alone or with a group.
- Clean up a park, beach or street with neighbors, and bring your own gloves and bags.
- Give blood or host a small drive at your school, office or place of worship.
- Sort and pack food at a local food bank or community fridge.
- Collect coats, blankets and winter clothes for a shelter.
- Read aloud to children at a library, and pick a book about courage or fairness.
- Visit an elderly neighbor or write cards for people in care homes.
- Tutor a student or help a younger sibling with homework.
- Write a thank-you note to a teacher, nurse, driver or someone who quietly helps others.
- Pick a local project on AmeriCorps' MLK Day of Service page and sign up in advance.
- Start a family talk about what fairness means, and read a King speech together.
Why We Mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a US federal holiday held on the third Monday of January, close to his birthday on January 15. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill creating the holiday on November 2, 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986.
Some states were slow to adopt it under that name, and every state officially observed it by 2000. Since 1994, after the King Holiday and Service Act, it has also been a national Day of Service, where people volunteer instead of only resting. Many schools, banks and government offices close, so check locally.
A note on quotes: many lines shared online in his name are misquoted or not his. For example, the widely shared "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives" lines have a first sentence that someone else wrote, joined to his real words about hate and darkness. Every quote on this page is taken from a named speech, sermon or book.
When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2027?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2027 is on Monday, January 18. It is always the third Monday of January.
Is MLK Day a federal holiday?
Yes. Federal offices, post offices and most banks close, and many schools do too. Some private businesses stay open, so check locally.
What is the MLK Day of Service?
Since 1994, the holiday has also been a national Day of Service. Instead of only resting, people volunteer in their communities, from park clean-ups to food drives.
When did MLK Day first happen?
President Reagan signed the holiday into law on November 2, 1983. It was first observed on January 20, 1986.
Did Martin Luther King Jr. really say 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness'?
Yes. The line comes from his sermon 'Loving Your Enemies,' published in Strength to Love in 1963. But the sentence that often comes before it online, 'I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives,' is not his.
What is the most famous Martin Luther King Jr. quote?
The best known is the 'I Have a Dream' passage from August 28, 1963, about his four little children being judged by the content of their character. 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere' from his Letter from Birmingham Jail is also widely quoted.
What should I post on MLK Day?
A real quote with its source, a photo of you volunteering, or a short message about how you plan to serve. Avoid unsourced quotes, since many circulating online are fake.
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