Street Sweeper — a Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Clark County Today honors the legacy of one of the most influential leaders of the civil rights movement

Today, the staff members at Clark County Today honor the life and the wisdom of the reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While it is a national holiday, it is fitting that we see, hear, and learn from some of that wisdom.

King is best known for his “I have a dream” speech, delivered at the March on Washington, Aug 28, 1963. You can read the full text of that here.

As one of the most influential voices in the civil rights movement, Dr. King helped change the course of history. Today, as we celebrate his legacy, we are reminded of just how true his words remain today.


Here are a few inspirational quotes from Dr. King on leadership and the importance of living your life with purpose.

  • “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”
  • “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
  • “If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
  • “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”
  • “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted,or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
  • “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
  • “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.”
  • “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
  • “The time is always right to do what is right.”

We here at Clark County Today honor Dr. King, and invite you to share your favorite quotes in the comment section below.