This is related to my post, Tweeting wisdom of the ages, attempting to debunk the notion that something less than 140 characters must be shallow. These are quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. that would fit in tweets:
At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land! I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land.
It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.
The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.
The sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.
The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.
I should acknowledge that the words we remember King most for are too long for a tweet, perhaps the most famous passage from his “I Have a Dream” speech: 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.
