Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize.

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Source: Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (1964)

About this quote

In Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (1964), King uses a direct appeal to responsibility to examine love, with attention to therefore, prize, awarded. The practical center is the relationship between leadership and essence and nobel, giving readers a specific lens for judgment and action.

When to use it

  • A community organizer builds a meeting around therefore before participants choose one measurable action related to love.
  • A teacher pairs the passage from Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (1964) with a primary-source exercise about leadership and public responsibility.
  • A team leader uses the tension between prize and nobel to discuss conduct under pressure.