Martin Luther King Jr. is known for his courageous leadership in the civil rights movement and his activism in the fight for racial equality, freedom, and justice for all. In honor of MLK Day 2021, we’ve compiled a list of 11 of his famous quotes. When you read through them, consider asking yourself what actionable steps you can take to stand up for others and do what is right in your own life.

1. “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

2. “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”

3. “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

4. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

5. “We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

6. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

7. “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”

8. “A lie cannot live.”

9. “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.”

10. “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.”

11. “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.”

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday and will be observed on January 18 of this year! Celebrate the life, legacy, and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr.