Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – The Injustice of Silence
Central to the thinking of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was the concept of the "Injustice of
Silence.” Dr. King has been attributed to addressing the injustice of silence at various times
during the Civil Rights Movement.
In 1965, in a speech at Dinkier Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. King said, "History will have
to record the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the vitriolic words and
other violent actions of the bad people but the appalling silence and indifference of the good
people. Our generation will have to repent not only the words and acts of the children of
darkness but also for the fears and apathy of the children of light.”
Additionally, Dr. King has been attributed to saying, “In the end, we will remember not the
words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
In keeping with Dr. King’s message of the “Injustice of Silence,” what can you do to promote a just
society free from bullying, discrimination, and the mistreatment of others based on their race, gender,
or religious beliefs?