Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, you’ve probably seen the iconic ‘I Have a Dream‘ speech floating around, and articles about the lesser recognized of King’s accomplishments. We thought that this- King’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech- was a beautiful way to remember this extraordinary man, through his own words.

Martin Luther King Jr. Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

After contemplation, I conclude that this award which I receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time – the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. Negroes of the United States, following the people of India, have demonstrated that nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation. Sooner or later all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

-Martin Luther King Jr.