What Is The Argument In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Almost sixty years ago from today, while incarcerated in Birmingham City Jail, the famous Martin Luther King Jr. composed a letter intended for a group of clergymen in the area. The lengthy letter, widely known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, was written in response to a brief, but rather bold criticism of King and his fellow civil rights activists. Although the uninformed clergymen had good intentions of “keeping the peace,” King sought to shed light on the superficial critique of the civil rights movement. His letter is filled with deeply justified refutations of the clergymen’s claims, yet one profound instance of his strong argument concisely targets the issue at hand. MLKJ perceptively states “it is an historical fact that privileged
He may seem quick to claim “it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily” (paragraph 12), but he makes sure to batter the clergymen with repetitive examples showing why this statement is indeed fact. To look back on the course of history regarding human rights in America, anyone can see his point. To clarify what he considers to be ignored history he says “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (paragraph 13). He continues on with more evidence: “For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied’” (paragraph 12). In these few quotes, King justifies his assumption by experience that no one can contradict. He then solidifies his point when he sheds light on the fact that the black community has “waited more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights” (paragraph 13). With this evidence to back him up, King expresses the necessity for what he and his associates are doing because of the basic principle he states in the first
He is careful to include that “Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture,” (paragraph 12). To avoid further criticism he includes and acknowledges the progress, however small, that is being made. However he emphasizes that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (paragraph 4). Using the common ground between King and the clergymen, he shows that while religious persons may disagree with segregation and the friction it has caused, their silence is as condemning as the racists who seek out violence against the