From His Own Words: Inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This MLK quote represents perseverance and relentlessness to me. No matter how dark a situation may be, only light can conquer it. This quote reminds me to stay positive and to never give up.

One of the failures of the education system in our country is that it teaches us that racism is something that is explicit and right in front of you and that really isn’t the case. Racism itself isn’t explicit anymore but it’s embedded into our way of life and the very infrastructure of the country. My own parents are old enough to remember not being able to eat at certain restaurants and even attended segregated schools, so with this in mind it’s clear that even though we’ve made some progress there’s still a very long way to go.

This quote by MLK resonates with me the most because no matter how old we grow, we should never forget who we are. We should always uphold ourselves to a high standard and continue to respect and love ourselves. Once we can do that consistently, then the love can spread to others which will make the world better collectively.

This MLK quote resonates with me the most because it expresses passion and desire to fight for our rights as it will not be handed to us.

MLK was the ultimate pinnacle of many core American values. Coach Rodenhaver has done a fantastic job in leading a culture of innovation, accountability, and empowerment - all values embodied by MLK and our team. I am proud to be an American and a student-athlete at the University of Maryland.

Within my life, there’s been plenty obstacles and situations that I’ve encountered that really got in the way of my dreams and wishes. However, you can’t let one setback define the rest of your life, so you must keep moving forward, in every aspect of your life.

This quote means to me that despite whatever challenges I may face, it’s important to persevere and keep my mind focused on the bigger picture. MLK dedicated his life to fight for social justice and equality. Although he faced opposition and he could have easily given up, he remained resilient and kept standing up for what is right. This inspires me to keep progressing towards my goals everyday even when it’s tough and to also be an advocate for those that are oppressed.

This quote resonates with me because it emphasizes the significance of us as individuals formulating our own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs based on what we believe is correct rather than blindly following what is "popular" or what others tell us we should think. I believe it is important for everyone to be able to think for themselves rather than always following the crowd, and in my personal experience, I've found that following my heart and doing what I believe is right, rather than what other people tell me to think and do, has brought me the most happiness and success.

When you think of the Black community, you have to think of Martin Luther King, Jr. He taught us how to approach life's challenges and is the ultimate leader in the Black community.

This is one of my favorite quotes from Dr. King because it’s really applicable to any stage in life. When everything is going according to plan it can become very comfortable but when adversity is presented in the situation your character is what’s really tested by the way in which you decide to respond.

Faith is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. expressed the importance of faith to take the first step. Just like he did back in the day, trusting that he would be able to make a change and impact our society the way he did. Today we must have faith to stand for what is right; we must have faith to believe in ourselves, in the power of our community, in the process of change. Change is always uncomfortable and hard. No matter what type of change we’re talking about, a change in our community, stigma, values, tolerance, any change starts at a personal level. Today, we still fight for equal opportunities. For this reason, we must have faith and courage to continue with his legacy and keep fighting for what is right. Take the first step and change at a personal level if we want to see a change in society.

My personal dream is to live in a world beyond racism and discrimination where people stand up against racial prejudice and attitudes. We need to continue what Martin Luther King started. We need to continue fighting for equality. Everyone, no matter the race, age, gender, sexual orientation, background, culture, religion, disability... is entitled to be treated with the same dignity and respect. Everyone has the right to fairness and equality.

This is my favorite quote because it speaks about the approach we should take towards all the things that we may strongly dislike in life. Martin Luther King Jr. faced all of the adversity in his life spreading positive thoughts with his head held high. On his day and everyday, I recognize the actions he took and sacrifices he made to make sure we as a people are better people today. My grandfather, LaMonte Wyche Sr, had the honor of working with Martin Luther King Jr, during the Civil Rights Movement, which provided me the opportunities to hear about first hand experiences that I can cherish forever!