Letter From Birmingham Jail Thesis

Civil rights leader and social activist Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a world renown correspondence, Letter From Birmingham Jail, in April of 1963, during a time when segregation was at it’s peak in the South. When King was making his mark in American history, the United States was experiencing great social unrest due to the injustice towards their colored citizens, which would lead to social rights rallies and unnecessary violence. In response to King’s peaceful protesting, the white community viewed “[his] nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist,” and subsequently imprisoned the pastor (para 27). King specifically wrote to the white clergymen who had earlier addressed a letter to him as to why he was apprehended, in which they argued that his actions were untimely and unconstitutional. In response, King emphasized that justice is never timely, and the refusal to acknowledge equal rights was inhumane and regressive.

In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King professes his disappointment with the white moderates for calling him an extremist for his schemes. At first, in paragraph 27, King does not deny the fact-by using anaphora- that there are some Negros who “advocate violence”, but he also asserts that there are even more for “nonviolent protest”(King 28). In making this comment, King urges for people to look at his acts of nonviolent protesting . Indeed the insignificant amount of violence will be more looked upon than the nonviolence; however, there are numerous acts nonvilence that should surpass this. Additionally, in paragraph 31, King states how at first he despised the label but then “gained [...] satisfaction” from it.

In the letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr refutes Eight Clergymen from Alabama’s article which condemned the nonviolent protests led by “outsiders” against the racial injustice directed towards African American’s in Birmingham and all of America. King supports his argument by utilizing historical, religious, and statistical facts to build a common ground with the clergymen and to elucidate that nonviolent protests are the only way African Americans can protest inequality, as well as using anecdotes of personal experiences he and other African American’s had to face in order to elicit sympathy and regret. King’s purpose is to persuade the white clergymen that he isn’t breaking the law and that he isn’t an

The Inspiration of Martin Luther King Jr. in His Letter from Birmingham Jail On April 3, 1963, black men and women, impatient for equality, opened a campaign to desegregate businesses in downtown Birmingham. The protesters who defied these segregation laws soon filled Bull Connor’s jail cell beyond capacity. When the state courts of Alabama issued an injunction against the protests, Dr. King decided to defy the law and suffer the consequences.

In regard to your latest publication entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, I must say that you present your thoughts well. To an extent, I agree with what you put forth. Despite this, I took note of your address directly to us church leaders. You described your belief that we would be some of your “strongest allies”, and stated that instead, some of us are “outright opponents”. To that, I object.

If Not Now, When? During the 1960s, racial segregation was an ongoing problem in the United States. Martin Luther King Jr. recognized this problem and decided to take action against it. King wanted to make a difference in the racial segregation that was going on by hosting nonviolent campaigns, but by doing so, sparked a response from the clergymen: a group of religious leaders.

Sympathy for the South “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. conveyed an array of emotion. While reading, I felt feelings ranging from hope to complete outrage. The most prevalent emotion for me was sympathy. I also felt a sense of gratitude for the changes we were able to make in our society and culture. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” did a great job of inspiring sympathy in its readers by sharing examples of injustice, violence and dehumanization as it related to African-Americans of that era.

The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is set in a time of disturbing unrest, caused by racial issues between the blacks and whites of America. The year of 1963 went down as a rough year in the terms of violence, segregation, and living life everyday in an unpeaceful manner. Other than Martin Luther’s letter, many events also happened that shaped history as we have it today. During the months of April through August, Birmingham, AL and other towns had riots, speeches, and civil abruptness. The historical context represented in this time is shown greatly in not only the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” but in the news daily.

MLK Jr. Birmingham Jail. “One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty”. Born on January 15, 1929, a Baptist minister and active spokesperson during the Civil Rights era, Martin Luther King wrote a letter from Birmingham Jail. A little backstory on Martin Luther King, his birth name was actually Michael Luther King, his history of preachers or preaching originated in 1914-1931 with his grandfather and being a co-pastor with his father from 1960 to Martin’s death, also earning a B.A. degree before his death in 1948 from Morehouse College. Arrested thirty times in total for demonstrating and participating in peaceful protests against segregation, but in 1963 MLK wrote a letter from Birmingham Jail which shortly became the manifesto for the Civil Rights Movement.

"Letter from a Birmingham Jail," was written Dr. Martin Luther King in the year 1983. He wrote this letter when he was in jail in Alabama. He was arrested for participating in the arrangement and organization of a peaceful protest. The protest was into opposition to racial Segregation by Birmingham's government. In this letter, Luther uses his experience, knowledge, and perspectives to illustrate the trouble of the Black community.

As of the year 2016, there are an estimated 324,118,787 people living in America. 324,118,787 people consider themselves to be Americans and 324,118,787 people have decided that America really is worthy enough to be called home. These people, whether they were born within the country or emigrated from another country, comingle in this melting pot of a nation, sharing grocery stores and hospitals and neighborhoods and all the ideologies that make up American society, and each of these people have their own lives and opinions and personal beliefs. All of these people, all (roughly) 324,118,787 of them, fall under the definition of an American – a person who lives in America, because there is simply no other way to define what an American is when

The 1960’s was an era of time that can be defined by change and milestones. From the Civil Rights protests to the assassination of a beloved leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, many lives were greatly affected. In America, the 1960’s ended on a good note when the United States won the Space Race. However, in the beginning of the 1960’s, people were being stoned for trying to fight for their basic rights.

Freedom March In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. points out in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that it has been over 340 years that blacks have waited for their God-given rights, and justice continues to be denied (para. 11). Dealing with continued disappointment over segregation and mistreatment in the south, King organizes a march that ends with his arrest and criticism from white religious leaders. King addresses this criticism by showing how direct action is necessary because it brings attention to the problems they must negotiate. There is injustice in Birmingham and it is a problem that needs solved.

No one enjoys the feeling of being discriminated, insulted, being made the punchline of the joke. Imagine walking into a café in the 1960s, and you had to sit in your segregated area, in the dirty unpleasant back corner of the café. Then while you try to enjoy a nice drink after being served last, people approach you – they start calling you names, making insensitive jokes about you, then they squirt tomato sauce on your face, sprinkle salt in your hair and spit on you all for no logical reason – yet if you retaliate in anyway then you could be fined or even jailed for abuse. How do you think you would react? This is what life was like for African-Americans in the mid-20th century, ‘in which the Negro was forced patiently to submit to insult, injustice and exploitation’.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist in the 1900’s that was known for his role in peaceful protest. In one of his writings, the Letter to Birmingham Jail, he shows his perspective on the events that took place. This letter reveals what traits he holds, and as a result traits he might look for in a hero. Martin Luther King’s criteria of a hero are their willpower, morality, and perseverance because those are traits that he shows. King shows his willpower through him fighting for equality despite knowing the danger he faces.