The Long and Bitter, but Beautiful, Struggle For A New World: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 2023

Martin Luther King Jr. quote reading, “Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.”

We are once again marking a new year—2023—and are about to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day in his honor. It’ll be 59 years since his historical “I have a dream” speech, but given today’s political and societal tensions, it feels as if we’re further and further away from reaching his vision of overcoming injustice and ending discrimination.

Undoubtedly, we’ll see many of the same politicians who are erasing the spirit of Dr. King’s dream by censoring our history and threatening our freedoms, post quotes from him today—willfully ignoring the true meaning of his words. Tomorrow, they’ll go back to disregarding his lifelong pursuit of justice, especially here in Texas, where the 88th Texas Legislative Session is in full swing—a session that promises to threaten our ability to vote freely and teach our children the full truth of the Civil Rights Movement and the change still needed in our country. 

We will need hope, compassion, perseverance, and relentlessness to protect the rights of all Texans—continuing to create a world where Dr. King’s dream becomes reality.

Today and every day, may we embody these inspiring words from King himself, as we remain dedicated to the “beautiful struggle”:

“Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.”
“With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
“Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
“Those who love peace must learn  to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
“We need leaders not in love with money, but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity, but in love with humanity.”

We hope you’ll be by our side, building the world that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned, by pledging to join us at the Capitol this session. May this day serve as a time to honor King in reflection–and action. 

If you’d like to share Dr. King’s quotes to inspire others today, visit our Instagram to share graphics of each quote above!