Civil Disobedience In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr is categorized as one of most well known advocates for non-violence demonstrations. As the leader of the civil rights movement, those of Gandhi, Socrates, and Paul influenced MLK’s ideas. As a Baptist pastor his movement was greatly influenced by the works of Christ and his Followers. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he is writing to other clergy for his reasons of imprisonment, the purpose of Non-violent protest, and the direct actions occurring in Birmingham, Alabama. Through the letter Martin Luther King Jr describes the four methods of a nonviolent campaign, “collection of facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action.” Martin Luther King Jr justified the civil disobedience displayed in Birmingham, Alabama with act of self-purification physically and mentally; he believed it was the key to a successful direct action.

First, MLK seen the injustices in Birmingham and promised the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights …show more content…
A most vital step by which we acknowledge internally those personal sacrifices is needed for the sake of progress. He warns against skipping this step, which potentially prevents us from acting with sincerity and love. Civil rights leaders in Birmingham begin to hold workshops on non-violence and explained the dangers of direct action. MLK states that during the workshops they would, “repeatedly asked ourselves: “‘are you able to accept blows without retaliating?”’ This causes questions of could the people really accept blows without wanting to retaliate. Could they have other people spit in their face and not fight back, or at a sit in have ketchup squirted in their face. Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?”’ Workshops prepared the protesters for events during the direct action where they must act in a non-violent manner. MLK believed