I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.

Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.

Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.

If I knew this world were to end tomorrow, I'd still go out and plant a tree today.

I've seen too much hate to want to hate, myself, and every time I see it, I say to myself, hate is too great a burden to bear. Somehow we must be able to stand up against our most bitter opponents and say: We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will and we will still love you. But be assured that we'll wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves; we will appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.

The choice is not between violence and nonviolence but between nonviolence and nonexistence.

I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go.

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.