So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with anuncertain sound.
He's disappointed that the church isn't standing up for justice like it should. Many churches today still do the same thing, and stay quiet on big issues.
11 Matching Annotations
- Nov 2025
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minio.la.utexas.edu minio.la.utexas.eduuc11
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Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifestsitself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro.
I loved this line because it is just so true. If you look anywhere in history, there have been many governments that have taken over others, but it never lasts forever. Eventually, the oppressed find a way to get out and escape.
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Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructivelyor constructively.
Time doesn't fix things, people do.
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First, I must confessthat over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate.
He's not just calling out the racists, he's calling out the people who say that they're good but don't do anything to help.
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We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was “legal” and everything theHungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal
This is a very bold comparison. It helps us see that just because something is legal, it doesn't make it good. It's kind of scary that something that horrible can actually be allowed by the law.
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Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application
I like what he's saying here. I think what he's pointing out is that some laws might look good on the outside, but in reality, they have deeper reasons for making the law and it's not always good.
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An unjustlaw is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.
He is saying here that laws don't automatically make something right. They should be lining up with what is morally good. I like that he brings in religion and ethics together. It makes me wonder, who decides what's moral and immoral? Is it just based on our feelings and if we feel guilty or not after doing something immoral?
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For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercingfamiliarity. This “Wait” has almost always meant ’Never.”
In this quote, you can tell he's tired of hearing all the fake promises. It makes me wonder if when the people tlling him to wait actually thought that they were helping, or if they just didn't want to deal with the change.
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Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a co mmunitywhi ch has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.
It's interesting that he says tension can be good. Most people think tension means fighting, but here he means the kind that forces people to pay close attention.
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we realized that we were thevictims of a broken promise
This quote hits pretty hard. It shows how betrayed they all felt; and they trusted the people in power to do the right things, and ended up getting lied to. How many times did they have to be disappointed by authorities to finally make their stand? It's insane to me how cruel, biased, and untruthful people can be.
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n any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whetherinjustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action
I like how MLK Jr. breaks this down into steps. It kind of reminds me of how a teacher would explain a process. This quote shows how peaceful protests were actually built on a smart plan, and not just emotion. I wonder if he realized back then actually realized how organized and thoughtful he actually was.
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