Watch: Martin Luther King Quotes

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and his enduring legacy, we asked Nonotuck Resource Associates staff to share their favorite quotes from Dr. King. You can still share your favorite quote by emailing Joshua Murray <murray@nonotuck.com>. Videos are welcome! Here’s what they had to say:

Zoe Ayinbora

Clinician, Lee
 “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

Diane M. Basnet, MPA, CGFM, SHRM-SCP

CFO & Vice President of Finance & Administration, Northampton

 “Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.” 

Diane adds: “During my undergraduate years, I enrolled in a community organizing course where we studied many of Dr. King’s sermons and speeches. My favorite was The Drum Major Instinct, which he delivered on February 4, 1968. In this sermon, he explains that the instinct to be first—to have superiority, arrogance, and selfishness—should instead be redirected toward servant leadership and justice. Use power for good, not for self-serving motives or attention.”

Thomas Carey

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

George Fleischner

President & CEO, Lee
 “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Grayson Fleischner

Vice President of Quality Enhancement, Easthampton
 “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Jill Gallagher

Program Director, Lee
 “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.”

Joyce Katantazi

Care Manager, Harvard
 “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Deborah Lawton

Accounts Payable Clerk, Northampton
 “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Joshua Murray

Director of Marketing, Easthampton
 “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Gretchen Parker

Director of Human Resources, Northampton
 “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Justus Perry

Marketing Content Specialist, Easthampton

 “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

Monalisa Smith

Assistant Program Director, Conz Street Northampton

1. “Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated people.”
2. “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.”

Sheri Vaillancourt

Care Manager, Auburn
 “We’ve been in the mountain of war. We’ve been in the mountain of violence. We’ve been in the mountain of hatred long enough. It is necessary to move on now, but only by moving out of this mountain can we move to the promised land of justice and brotherhood and the Kingdom of God. It all boils down to the fact that we must never allow ourselves to become satisfied with unattained goals. We must always maintain a kind of divine discontent.”
 (Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Dec. 10, 1964)