Preview

Letter From Birmingham Jail Case Analysis

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1060 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Letter From Birmingham Jail Case Analysis
Letter From Birmingham Jail Case Analysis Toni Morrision once said, “Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that free self is another.” This quote suggests that it is important to claim your freedom as your own as you move through the new experience of freedom itself. I believe that this is essential principle in the Letter from Birmingham Jail Case Analysis. This principle ties the connection between where people of color currently are and where they want to be. Martin Luther King is modeling this way of thinking, though he is locked away. He is using communication leadership to instill action, devotion, and motivation to his constituents. Martin Luther King’s leadership abilities are directly tied to the fact that he can reach an enormous amount of people with his message that the time for change is now, not tomorrow. He adds message to his credibility by being on the front lines and leading others in action as well as in message. …show more content…
Sternberg’s article, A propulsion model of creative leadership was a leader that urged to reject the current paradigm and replace it with something that was equal and fair for all. Dr. King proved to know the difficulty of the task he was undertaking when he said, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” To develop the kind that was going to take place would take time and would take a lot of momentum. Using this letter as a vehicle to continue the momentum they had built in Birmingham. It’s important to recognize that his arrest was a blow to the people and their cause. However, his ability to articulate his thoughts and deliver this message gave faith to the people who could not be with him in that jail cell. This letter help continue the dynamic change that was happening and provided push back to those that thought this change would fall

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King, Jr., in his famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail, responds forcefully yet politely to a public statement made by eight Alabama clergymen in 1963. He defends his position as an African American and strongly defends racial equality, referencing countless sources and utilizing several literary devices. Most significantly, King uses frequent Biblical allusions and metaphors, not only to relate to the Clergymen and the people of Alabama, but also to display his passion for equality. For instance, when he speaks of just and unjust laws, he references the reasoning of Saint Thomas Aquinas, "To put in the words of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any laws that degrades human personality is unjust"(King 180). King cites the book of Daniel when he discusses Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the disobedience of a law for higher moral principle. King also relates himself to the Apostle Paul and his thriving effort to assist the men and women who call for his…

    • 957 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (King Jr., Martin Luther. Letter From Birmingham Jail: Why We Can't Wait.), Martin Luther King Jr. writes back to the clergy on his actions and his demand for change and negotiation from a cell in Birmingham jail. In his letter, King explains the direct action in the Negro community is a demand for civil change, how he is disappointed in the blind eye in the white community, and how change is gained through love.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Letter From Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tells the story of injustice in Alabama during the civil rights movement. He presents this story in the form of a letter in which he shares his arguments and analysis as the leader. This paper will review Dr. King’s criticism he got from other people as well as his structure of the letter, and will evaluate the quality of Dr. King’s letter and focus on the goals he wanted to accomplish.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The general argument made by King in his letter titled “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” is that in order for Blacks to get their rights they must use non-violent resistance. More specifically, King argues that they must demand that they get their rights and he states that with time, the non-violent resistance will make situations which will force whites to negotiate. There are two distinct sides to this very complicated issue, and while King argues that non-violent resistance is the key to acquiring their rights, one can see that the counter-argument that violence can be used as a tactic to acquire their rights may also be valid under the following circumstances such as the commence of the Zapatista movement, the American Revolution, and the…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. creates a powerful response to a statement by some Alabama clergymen opposing his actions in Birmingham, Alabama. The initial explanation of why King is in Birmingham later becomes the background to the letter, justifying King’s civil disobedience and explaining the immorality of racial segregation. The letter not only addresses the issues of being arrested in an unjust manner for being an “extremist” of his approach to the protest, and the incompetence of the church, but it is also an appeal to the clergymen’s opinion from his point of view. The white clergymen stereotype King as another typical African American man that is not intelligent or important…

    • 1626 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In April of 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King was thrown into jail for standing up for the unjust segregation laws that were in place at that time. It was during the time he was condemned to jail that he wrote a letter, which is known today as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, King respectfully expresses his thoughts on the segregation laws that prevented African Americans equal rights. Throughout the letter he graciously disagrees with other’s degrading opinions, and continues to stand for what is right regardless of the consequences. Leading with love and respect for others, he created tension peacefully. King clearly illustrates his points by including three critical rhetorical appeals -ethos, logos, and pathos.…

    • 1033 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Born in Atlanta Georgia in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., conceivably lived as one of the greatest social and religious leaders in a country where a group of its citizens had to endure excruciating conditions of disenfranchisement, inferiority and degradation of a second class citizenship by reasons of race, color or origin. In effort to condemn all acts of racial discrimination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote several letters and gave inspirational speeches during his lifetime and strived to persuade governmental leaders to remove social barriers of segregation, acts of voter suppression especially in the southern states, and remote acts of racial violence against African Americans. Two of his pieces noticeably stand out as his greatest works, a “letter from the Birmingham City Jail,” in response to various religious leaders who had concerns about his peaceful demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. In the latter part of the same year Dr. King Jr. gave his hallmark speech, “I have a Dream Speech” at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington DC. Even though the ‘letter’ and the ‘speech’ attracted different audiences with the latter stretching to reach the entire nations through radio and television broadcast, the two works are similar in style. They are the approach and methods, eminent change, nonviolent alternative to negotiation, and respect for diversity; all as means of inspiring intended audience through the art of persuasion.…

    • 1438 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    One was our 16th President and the other was a civil rights leader amongst other things, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther had many things in common. Both men fought long and hard for what they believed in, they both were leaders and they both believed in God. Just from Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech and in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail you can see the similarities these two men shared. I will also discuss at least one thing that separates them, what stands out most in mind between the two writings mentioned above, and explain how the story Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell adds to my perspective of…

    • 1071 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr.'s revealing, 'Letter from Birmingham Jail', delves into the segregation, injustice and violence of Birmingham, Alabama, "probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States"(Inquiry, p.#391, paragraph 6) In response to criticism from eight clergymen of Birmingham, King details the process of preparation for the nonviolent protest that took place in Birmingham. Imprisoned for protesting without a license, Dr. King's words continue to reach far beyond the bars of his prison in his letter from Birmingham jail.…

    • 310 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Henry David Thoreau once said " If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer;Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away". I think the meaning of this quote is that every individul has his own " drummer" or in better words his own calling and that own should let those indivuduals follow there callings no matter how difficult or obserd it may seem. An embodyment of this quote is the piece of literature known as "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr.…

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Written in 1963, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., is a direct response to his fellow clergymen about their criticism for his actions in Birmingham. Being from Atlanta, King was in Birmingham because he was invited their by his Southern Christian Leadership conference affiliate from Birmingham, to stage a non-violent protest. King says he was mainly there because injustice was there. He explains that he cannot sit by and in Atlanta and not be concerned about what was happening in Birmingham, because “injustice anywhere is the threat to justice everywhere.” (King,226,4) In Birmingham King had a non-violent protest. With his non-violent campaign, he follows four basic steps. Collection of facts to see if injustice exists, negotiation, self purification, and direct action. With collection of facts King saw that Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States, and also had a reputation to harm others. Birmingham was knows for bombing homes and unjust treatments in court. Negotiations were made, movements would be delayed by the Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights when Birmingham agreed to take racial signs down. Little or no sign were taken down and if they were only a short time pasted before the signs were up once more. King went through work-shops to ready himself to what may happen as a result of his non-violent protest as his step in self-purification. Once all this was done King had his direct action or his non-violent protest in Birmingham. King was then arrested on the grounds of parading without a permit. King says that this was an unjust action because it was used to uphold segregation. With this King says that his First Amendment rights to be able to have the privilege of peaceful assembly was taken away. An unjust law is something that a major group of people make others follow but…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King jr. wrote this letter from the Birmingham jail on April 16, 1963. The purpose of this text is Martin Luther King jr contradicting the clergymen and explaining the suffering of the Negro lives. His point was to show that black lives are no different than white lives and how both communities are interrelated. As opposed to the clergymen who wanted negotiations instead of direct actions, MLK tried to show the need for direct actions to reach negotiations. For example he had said, “The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” (King). He also argues against the fact that the clergymen called him an outsider. He rebuts with saying “...I was invited here because I have organizational ties here.” (King). King then later explained how “...racial injustice engulfs this community.” (King). He described how Birmingham was the the most segregated city in the United states due to brutality, Negroes having unjust court trials, and…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The letter from the Birmingham jail still has an inspiring impact on us today. In this letter, King makes several points about issues that we still deal with such as inequality, injustice, and police brutality specifically targeted towards (or what it seems like) African Americans. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” I remember everything happening like dominos, A shooting here and a shooting there then afterwards riot here, crying there, protesting here. It didn’t just affect one place but multiple places all over the world.…

    • 733 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr., reverend and civil rights leader, was jailed after leading a major protest against unfair hiring practices in Birmingham, Alabama. King was serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and was requested by a fellow affiliate, The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights, to participate and "engage in [what they called] a nonviolent direct-action program"(164). As King and his affiliates joined together to organize a non-violent protest against racial segregation, King and his fellow brothers and sisters were soon jailed by the white conservative community of Birmingham. While King and his members were locked up in jail, a group of local white clergymen from Birmingham published a statement criticizing the actions of King and his supporters. The local white clergymen attempted to force the African American community to withdraw their support from the civil rights movement. In response, King replies with a letter aimed towards the clergymen as well as the white conservatives of Birmingham. In King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (1963), King attempts to explain his purpose for being in Birmingham and the reasons behind the civil rights movement. Through King's language and rhetorical strategies, he attempts to convince these white clergymen; and the white conservatives, why equal rights should be granted to all African Americans. Moreover, King utilizes the rhetorical devices logos and ethos to appeal to the clergymen's logic, authority, reputation and ethics. As King progresses throughout his letter, his audience will notice that he gradually lessens his use of logos and ethos and effectively stengthens his use of pathos in order to appeal to the white clergymen and the white conservative community.…

    • 1193 Words
    • 35 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King, Jr. emerged as a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King was an advocate for civil disobedience and peaceful protest. In 1963, following his arrest during a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” where various sources of oppression were described along with how to combat such oppression. In the letter, Martin Luther King, Jr. explained promises made to the African Community for equality that were never met. As a result of the broken promises, Dr. King called for pressure to be put on the authority figures who instigated such oppression. Dr. King described the pressure as a “direct action” and that the pressure would force negotiation to occur. Negative emotions were in the African American Community. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote that these emotions could manifest themselves a violence, if not expressed. However, Dr. King warned against acts of violence to achieve the desired end of equality. In the letter, Martin Luther King, Jr. revealed to white leaders the racism faced by African Americans and the difficulties faced by the children of this…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays