Analysis of Letter From a Birmingham Jail In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was asked to go to Birmingham to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program and was arrested as a result of this protest. A letter from several clergymen arrived to him during his incarceration criticizing his work as untimely and unwise. Martin Luther King responded to their critique in a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and explained the necessity of his presence. He explains that his actions were thoroughly planned out.…
Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail was a detailed letter explaining the motives and emotion behind the non-violent protests that took place in the South. As a result of these protests, a few white religious leaders criticized the actions of Dr. King and those encouraging the non-violent campaigns. The purpose of this letter was to respond to criticism made by these leaders. In the letter Dr. King expounded on four of the leaders’ comments. He responded to the comments regarding the untimeliness of the campaigns, the willingness of the campaigners to break laws, the allegation that the campaigns triggered violence, and the description of the campaigns as extreme.…
Dr. King is a prime example of working against oppression and finding a way to get justice for society. When discussing Dr. King, we looked at the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that Dr. King had written when working on his non-violent resistance in Birmingham. In this letter he had laid out the four parts it takes to have a successful non-violent action. The first part is collecting facts, making sure that there actually harm or happening and you have evidence to back it up. This part is important as the first step because you do not want to jump into action without direct knowledge or without witnessing the oppression-taking place.…
Martin Luther King Jr. uses many rhetorical strategies in his letter to Birmingham. While reading the letter I noticed he enjoys to show his knowledge of historical features and names mentioned in the Bible. King starts off the letter (paragraph 2) with who he is and why he is in Birmingham. He then gives the comment that he is apart of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, showing he is a christian and later on finding out he is a minister.…
In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. addresses eight of the most respected clergymen in Alabama about their inaction and failure to support a movement that they should. King also points out that the white moderate, who say that they agree with him, have become too comfortable in the current system and because of that do not truly want the change that they call for. One of King’s biggest grievance with the white moderate and clergymen that he addresses is that they are not willing to stand up against an unjust law. To make this point clear he compares the unjust laws that they are unwilling to break to those of Adolf Hitler. King mentions “that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was ‘legal’”, but if he “had lived in…
Expository Writing Prompt Brennen kaawa feb.1/ 2017 In this writing prompt i'm going to explain the importance of martin luther king's letter from birmingham jail and i am also going to explain the cause and effects of his letter in specific detail The letter that martin luther king wrote was so into detail that it was like this man was ahead of his time. He stated in his letter so many metaphors, quotes and so many heartbreaking facts that it was absolutely unbelievable. What also made his letter good is he went to church with it and used countless facts strait out of the bible i guess that it really payed off being a theologian.…
Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” encompasses the purpose behind the movement and reveals King as a strong rhetorician. Through his letter, King provides a detailed look into the racial inequality taking place in that time. King’s eloquent response to the clergymen dispels their criticisms and presents a strong argument for racial equality. Throughout the letter, King references different philosophers in order to establish himself as an intelligent and legitimate authority.…
Throughout history, people have been treated differently based on what they choose, or are forced, to do in life. Whether it’s a career they enjoy or not, civilians need jobs in order to ensure safety and prosperity for their family. Unfortunately, it has been repeatedly shown that society and governments often set rules that restrict certain workers from acquiring as much as they need or deserve for the work they do. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is one of the many fought for a cause such as this. He was a leader of the Civil Rights movement who argued for total equality between all races in the United States, with an ultimate goal of eliminating segregation.…
“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made- disobedience and rebellion.” These words spoken from Oscar Wilde explain what has happened over decades. Time and time again, people have gone against the law to do what was right. Not only did it make a small difference, it changed what the future would be like for everyone.…
When learning something new, it is easier to understand a topic or a philosophy when the person learning can feel a connection to what they are learning about. For example, teachers, authors, and philosophers often use metaphors or similes to help their pupil connect with their views, ultimately furthering their understanding. A string of facts behind facts does not register as well as something that can be directly connected to someone. Although both Martin Luther King, author of “Letter From Birmingham City Jail” and a strong advocate for African American rights, and Gandhi, author of the “Dandi March Speech” and leader of the Indian Independence Movement, both use rhetoric to further convey their message of equality and nonviolent direct action to their audience, King’s passion infused diction is ultimately more convincing than Gandhi’s logical approach. While using…
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the best interpreters of the Socratic tradition of philosophy because of how he used Socrates' meanings of philosophy in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail. King Jr. not only stated great key points of Socrates ideas throughout the letter but he also had many of the same beliefs as Socrates. However, one can argue that King Jr. mostly defended a racial problem throughout the letter and Socrates faced the facts about philosophy and what he believed to be just, but King Jr. was also using philosophy to show that a law can be just in the eyes of people but really at the same time it is unjust. He used Socrates theories and questioning as a wakeup call to all the people in America; through philosophy he showed…
I come a family that has always supported me. Sometimes I worried when my grandparents asked me about high school because it would just turn into me complaining about every little thing. My grandparents listened patiently to every single word I said, and when I finished venting out my frustrations my grandmother asked “And what are you going to do about it?” While I paused in surprise, my grandfather interjected with, “Why don’t you run for President? I’m sure that you aren’t the only one with those concerns.”…
While writing the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers knew the importance of human rights for Americans. The ideals of equality for everyone were challenged as discrimination rose. The fight for equal human rights led to the Civil Rights Movement. During this movement, many prominent leaders led the way for change. In the writings, “Racism: The Cancer that is Destroying America” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, two emerging human rights activists present their perspective on eradicating racism in America.…
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for freedom and equality of African American people and is now a well known historical person for what he did for people all around the nation. Segregation and discrimination have been going on for quite some time now. Negroes didn’t have their rights, there are separate places for white people and colored people, white people feel superior to African Americans, and nothing is changing. This is until Martin Luther King Jr., a minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, gave his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech and wrote his cogent letter directed to the Clergymen, “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” King was a leader of the African American civil rights movement, lead nonviolent protest, and spoke out against poverty…
Martin Luther King Jr. message was not to convince all clergymen that what he was doing was right. It was to try and open them up so they wouldn't see him and his people as the bad people. First of all, great…