Tim McGraw selected a beautiful quote from Martin Luther King Jr to celebrate the civil right leader’s birthday.
McGraw posted on Twitter:
“A timeless quote that we should all come back to daily, not just today. Love is universal, love is freeing, love is weightless.”
The MLK quote Tim McGraw selected was this one: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
Tim McGraw Used Quote From MLKs “Where Do We Go From Here” Speech
Tim McGraw loves to share inspirational quotes on his social media account. On Monday, the words McGraw quoted were in King’s “Where Do We Go From Here” speech that King gave in August 1967. As King made the speech to members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Betty D’Agostino was in Louisiana, tending to their three-month-old son, Tim McGraw.
But King’s words are timeless and encompass all races. It’s why McGraw, a 53-year-old superstar, can quote them to his three million followers on Twitter more than a half-century after King gave the speech.
We all now know of Martin Luther King. He was the civil rights leader who was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Musicians from all genres have sung about MLK, including U2 and Bono with “Pride,” which was released in 1984.
Tim McGraw included MLK in his song “Southern Voice.” It reached No. 1 in January, 2009. The song also was included at the end of the movie “The Blind Side.” It played as the credits rolled. McGraw co-starred in the movie with Sandra Bullock, who won the Academy Award for best actress for her performance.
McGraw told Great American Country that he hoped the song had a “sort of earthiness” to it.
“I hope it’s a record that you can put on and just sort of melt into,” McGraw said. “And that’s what the purpose was for it. … It just sort of kicks out all over you.”
MLK’s Best Known Speech Was “I Have A Dream”
Martin Luther King’s most famous speech probably was his “I Have a Dream.” While standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., King addressed thousands of supporters who participated in the March on Washington, Aug 28, 1963.
The speech was one of the most seminal moments in the civil rights movement. King told the crowd: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!”
McGraw opted for another MLK speech, which touched on the Vietnam War and non-violent protests.
MLK’s actual birthday was Jan. 15. Back in November 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to declare the third Monday in January as a federal holiday to observe MLK’s birthday.
For more Outsider coverage on Tim McGraw, check out this story on his new collaboration with Tyler Hubbard. The two released a new song, “Undivided,” last week. It’s a song for the times.
