Martin Luther King's "A letter from Birmingham jail" was written in response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama who seriously criticized King for organization and participation in the protest march against segregation in Birmingham. King's letter was an attempt to defend himself from these accusations and to criticize white heads and moderators of the church. In the begging parts of the letter, Martin Luther King tries to reject the accusation of being an outsider in Birmingham. He also goes against the accusations that the protests where “untimely” by stating several reasons why this was appropriate time for…
“Letter from Birmingham Jail: April 16, 1963” was written by Dr. Martin Luther King in response to published statements denouncing his non-violent protest in Birmingham, Alabama. The article, composed on scraps of paper, in the margins of the newspaper and finally on writing pads (King, 1963) by Dr. King as he was incarcerated in Birmingham City Jail for participating in a series of non-violent protests, known as the Birmingham Campaign. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is considered“the most important written document of the modern civil rights movement and a classic text on civil disobedience”, primarily due to King’s impassioned defense of his confrontational tactics. (Bass, 2001 )…
When one thinks about the civil rights movement, the first name that comes to mind is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He contributed greatly to the advancement of African American people in the U.S.; however, in the case of the Birmingham Campaign, it was a collective group effort from numerous local leaders and MLK that peacefully protested for, and eventually gained, the rights that all American citizens deserve. Few mention the efforts of local leaders like Fred Shuttlesworth’s work with Project “C”, James Bevel’s orchestrating of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade, Wyatt Tee Walker’s organizing confrontations with city officials. MLK’s own brother A.D. King, who played a part in the eventual success of the movement, is often left out of these…
In Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he shows that nonviolence is the way to get the positive attention that his plight deserved. He believed that to use violence was negative on a couple of points. First, violence always gets negative attention. Second, violence was the way the Klu Klux Klan went about their business. He wanted to expose unjust laws and do it in a fashion that conveyed his beliefs without causing other problems. In Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he is trying to convince his “fellow clergymen” (566) that his fight for the civil liberties is a just one, and that the march was a nonviolent one and one that was surely needed. Dr. King stated, “we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny” (566). King is saying that it’s something that can no longer be ignored, that he can no longer sit on the sideline and be an idle observer. The black man has to take it to the streets. In this letter, Dr. King showed that nonviolence, direct action, and the ability to stand by one’s convictions are the right path.…
Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that everyone in America now a days should recognize who he was and some of the things he did. The mid 1900’s were not the brightness for both blacks or whites in the country as segregation was still around but, 1950’s to 1960’s those who were segregated were starting to open their eyes and release their thoughts. Martin Luther King Jr. was considered the leader of these efforts and this did not go down unpunished. He was arrested numerous times however he was showing no fear during these arrests. He would write letters meant for whoever would read it such as the one from Birmingham Alabama Jail and it had purpose to it. The purpose which was the…
In a "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" written by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, King addresses the issue of inequality of citizens in existence in American society and the need for moral responsibility regarding human dignity. The issues of inequality addressed by King in his letter are still prominent in American society today; no longer mandated by law, but by the mere existence of custom and racism.…
Have you ever had to make a difficult decision that would change people’s lives everywhere? This was Martin Luther King Jr.’s decision when deciding whether or not to travel to Birmingham to preach his beliefs. In a Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr., tries to convince the clergymen that it is necessary to go to Birmingham by appealing to their reason and emotion.…
Violent racist terror against African Americans was at its peak when Dr. King was arrested in 1963. In the open letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference makes an effort to convince his fellow white clergymen that it is time to take immediate actions towards injustice and the increase violence among the people. By appealing to ethos, logos, and pathos, Dr. King convinces his audiences of the unfairness of the law by which is effectively demonstrated by his legalistic and persuasive tone.…
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was an excellent leader and a powerful historical figure. He is often remembered most for his writings and speeches, in which he invokes many philosophical theories and speakers to justify the opinions he expresses in them. In MLK’s, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he uses philosophical thinkers from the past to support the idea that civil rights activists should be allowed to protest peacefully, in spite of the laws against it.…
A great example of this idea is and can be shown from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. A fragment of his speech that stands out states, “ In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plain of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence” (lines 56 - 60) For that reason this statement is an excellent example of how African Americans had to struggle and attempt to acquire freedom and be respected as black men and women of the United States of America. In addition, this statement also proves that people must fight, not with fists but with words and behave in a civilized fashion. An additional sample of the struggle for freedom also comes from Dr. King’s speech, especially when he tells us that, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” This quote supports the idea of struggling for Freedom by stating on how the “sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners” be able to enjoy the magnificence of…
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," He’s responding to a statement made by clergymen in Alabama about his dealings in Birmingham, Alabama. In this letter King uses rational ideas, moral values, and emotion to establish to the clergymen as well as the "white moderate" why civil rights should be granted to African Americans. In his letter King uses powerful literary tools that strongly match his views. He uses similes to help the audience understand not only the historical foundation of why segregation is immoral, but the awful emotional effects that segregation and discrimination has on the African American people who are experiencing it. King uses realistic imagery to give the reader an idea about how segregation harms a person’s character. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" had a great effect on the audiences because of his skilled use of pathos throughout the essay.…
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in response to his fellow white clergymen who criticized his actions that landed him in jail. He used Biblical examples to show that his nonviolent actions were necessary for African Americans to move forward in this country. This letter was mainly directed to those religious leaders who have the power to do something about segregation but don't. The purpose is to hopefully get the backup from powerful religious leaders and end segregation. He communicates this message very effectively to these men from his examples from Saint Paul and King Solomon, which is preached within the churches of these religious leaders. He also justifies his nonviolent action by comparing it to "just" and "unjust" laws with one example of Hitler. King claims there is no better timing for something that has been at conflict for 340 years and that there was no wrong-doing during this "sit-in." Martin Luther King Jr. is asking for the help of the clergymen so they can move forward with Civil Rights.…
Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr. mentions the atrocities of racism and describes his endless battles against it. King does this in an effective and logical way. King establishes his position supported by historical and biblical allusions, counterarguments, and the use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos. With the use of King's rhetorical devices, he described the ways of the Birmingham community and their beliefs, connected to the reader on an emotional level, and brought to light the overall issues dealing with segregation.…
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, author Martin Luther King Jr. confirms the fact that human rights must take precedence over unjust laws. His expressive language and use of argumentation make his case strong and convincing. King uses pathos to invoke anger, sympathy and empathy, his impeccable use of logos makes his argument rational to everyone, and his use of ethos, especially the use of biblical references, makes his opinions more reliable. King’s arguments induce an emotional response in his readers. Although the letter was addressed to the eight clergymen, the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” speaks to a national audience. King’s use of pathos gives him the ability to encourage his fellow civil rights activists, evoke empathy in white conservatives, and allow the eight clergymen and the rest of his national audience to feel compassion towards the issue. King intended for the entire nation to read it and react to it. He “had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress” (King 267). He uses parallelism by repeating “I had hoped” to ironically accuse his attackers. By stating the obvious point and implying that moderates act as though this was not true, he accuses them of both hypocrisy and injustice. King is not speaking only of racism; he is speaking of injustice in general. He is a firm believer that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (262). King is saying that if we allow injustice to happen in some places, we risk it happening to everyone. We allow people to think that it is okay to act unjustly towards some individuals. The problem is that this kind of thinking can spread and infect other people to believe this is acceptable. This comes to endanger our entire society. Overall, King is saying that we need to fight against injustice anywhere we see it,…
“I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. 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. … Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” This passage is an excerpt from “Letter from Birmingham Jail” written by Martin Luther King Jr. on April 16, 1963. Although this actual letter is addressed to fellow clergymen, King adopts a level-headed passionate tone to appeal to the hearts and minds of a national audience to end racism and injustice everywhere.…