Words and Teachings of MLK

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Martin Luther King Jr. taught us that we must speak up if we face injustice. It is one thing to say you can make the world better, but another to act on it.

“Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.” In his words, King showed us that our words, as well as our life, must reflect on the change we want to see. Even if what we must say is hard, we have to be sure to say it boldly with conviction, as well with sensitivity and grace, and we must speak up.

Through his own actions, King showed us that speaking up can be dangerous, for there are people who do not want us to speak out. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends,he said. We must be aware of the consequences of even trying to say the truth because, as in his case, it may cost a life, but if one doesn’t speak, it could cost something far greater.

King taught us that our goal should not be popularity. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus, he said. As we know, his ideas were very different to what others believed. We should not be leading to solely fill a political status, but to guide rather than entertain. The people do not know what they want or need until it is shown to them.

King often spoke about the importance of believing in oneself before trying to convince others to do so. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase, he said. It’s important to remember that we are what we are when we decide to be it. For example, a writer is a writer when he decides he is a writer. If you doubt yourself, others will, too. But if you have confidence in yourself, you will thrive.