Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes About Riots

• 

  A riot is the language of the unheard.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Inspirational, Kings, Race Riots

  Martin Luther King, Jr. (2016). “MLK on "The Other America" and "Black Power"”, p.6, Beacon Press

• It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Alternatives, Attention, Tonight

  "The Other America". Speech Grosse Pointe High School, www.gphistorical.org. March 14, 1968.

• And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the negro poor has worsened over the last twelve or fifteen years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  White, America, Years

  "The Other America". Speech at Grosse Pointe High School, March 14, 1968.

• I feel that non-violence is really the only way that we can follow because violence is just so self-defeating. A riot ends up creating many more problems for the negro community than it solved. We can through violence burn down a building, but you can't establish justice. You can murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder through violence. You can murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. And what we're trying to get rid of is hate, injustice, and all of these other things that continue the long night of man's inhumanity to man.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Hate, Night, Men

• The limitation of riots, moral questions aside, is that they cannot win and their participants know it. Hence, rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be followed by a sense of futility.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Wisdom, Emotional, Winning

  Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1989). “The trumpet of conscience”, HarperCollins

• When you cut facilities, slash jobs, abuse power, discriminate, drive people into deeper poverty & shoot people dead whilst refusing to provide answers or justice, the people will rise up & express their anger & frustration if you refuse to hear their cries. A riot is the language of the unheard.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Jobs, Cutting, Frustration

• The more there are riots, the more repressive actin will take place, and the more we face the danger of a right-wing takeover and eventually a fascist society.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Wings, Faces, Revolution

• To dislocate the functioning of a city without destroying it can be more effective than a riot because it can be longer-lasting, costly to the society but not wantonly destructive, moreover, it is more difficult for Government to quell it by superior force.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Government, Cities, Destroying

• Riots are the voices of the unheard.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Voice, Revolution, Riot

• A riot is the language of the unheard. On blacks in America; address at Birmingham AL

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  America, Addresses, Als

• It is purposeless to tell Negroes they should not be enraged when they should be. Indeed, they will be mentally healthier if they do not suppress rage, but vent it constructively and use its energy peacefully but forcefully to cripple the operations of an oppressive society. Civil disobedience can utilize the militance wasted in riots to seize clothes or groceries many do not even want.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Clothes, Energy, Use

• Let us say boldly, that if the total slum violations of law by the white man over the years were calculated and compared with the lawbreaking of a few days of riots, the hardened criminal would be the white man.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Men, White Man, Years

  Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1989). “The trumpet of conscience”, HarperCollins

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