Letter from Birmingham Jail
Many years ago, Martin Luther King Jr was sitting in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama for marching against segregation.From his cell he wrote an astonishing analysis of what constitutes a just law and a law. During this time people were protesting to gain equal rights for colored people, to outlaw racial injustices. Slavery had ended after the civil war, however, the life of black Americans had improved a little. Black people were forced to ride in the back of the bus. They were refused service. Public schools, public transportation and public places were all segregated and they had separate bathrooms, restaurants and drinking fountains. Discrimination existed in every aspect of life for African Americans. During the time of the African-American Civil Rights Movement was …show more content…
begins the letter with words of wisdom to gain credibility, acknowledging no just the clergymen but all his audience. It begins on his first paragraph of the letter when he writes, ” Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day....” (page1). When we choose to answer to critics it’s not easy to do, it takes humility to recognise. The criticism has a point but it doesn’t always mean that it is right. Answering to critic or criticism is an opportunity to teach others how one handles criticism. Then he goes on to say, “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticism are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (page1). This served Dr, King as both a teaching lesson to others as well as to strengthen the credibility and influence of his leadership. King knows that Thus, it was also an opportunity for Dr. King to address not only the clergymen but his
Many years ago, Martin Luther King Jr was sitting in a jail in Birmingham, Alabama for marching against segregation.From his cell he wrote an astonishing analysis of what constitutes a just law and a law. During this time people were protesting to gain equal rights for colored people, to outlaw racial injustices. Slavery had ended after the civil war, however, the life of black Americans had improved a little. Black people were forced to ride in the back of the bus. They were refused service. Public schools, public transportation and public places were all segregated and they had separate bathrooms, restaurants and drinking fountains. Discrimination existed in every aspect of life for African Americans. During the time of the African-American Civil Rights Movement was …show more content…
begins the letter with words of wisdom to gain credibility, acknowledging no just the clergymen but all his audience. It begins on his first paragraph of the letter when he writes, ” Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day....” (page1). When we choose to answer to critics it’s not easy to do, it takes humility to recognise. The criticism has a point but it doesn’t always mean that it is right. Answering to critic or criticism is an opportunity to teach others how one handles criticism. Then he goes on to say, “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticism are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms” (page1). This served Dr, King as both a teaching lesson to others as well as to strengthen the credibility and influence of his leadership. King knows that Thus, it was also an opportunity for Dr. King to address not only the clergymen but his