Courage and overcoming setbacks
The time is always right to do what's right.
— Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968), "The Future of Integration", address in Finney Chapel at Oberlin College (22 October 1964), as quoted in "When MLK came to Oberlin" by Cindy Leise, The Chronicle-Telegram (21 January 2008); he also used a slight variant of this "the time is always right to do right" in a later speech "Remaining Awak

Courage and overcoming setbacks

What it means

There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. King rejects waiting for a more convenient moment.

About the author

Martin Luther King Jr. — American minister and civil rights activist (1929–1968).

Source and verification

Source
"The Future of Integration", address in Finney Chapel at Oberlin College (22 October 1964), as quoted in "When MLK came to Oberlin" by Cindy Leise, The Chronicle-Telegram (21 January 2008); he also used a slight variant of this "the time is always right to do right" in a later speech "Remaining Awak
Reference
Martin Luther King Jr. on Wikiquote
Checked
Wording and source taken from the sourced section of the author’s Wikiquote page, which cites the work given here (accessed 2026-10-11).
Copyright
Short quotation from a work that is still in copyright, reproduced briefly for commentary with full attribution. Rights remain with the author or their estate.

The explanation above is ToDoMatriX’s own reading of the quote, not the author’s words.

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