Rhetoric In Letter From Birmingham Jail

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a correspondence from notable civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. to area members of the clergy who had criticized his manner of advocacy (King 1300). While pointing out he does not make a habit of responding to criticism, King nonetheless indicates he is responding to the pastors because they are level headed and mean well (King 1302). King articulates the purpose for which he is in the Birmingham jail by illustrating ideas of justice and instances of abuse while underscoring the urgency of a response from the Christian church to persecution of black individuals by unjust laws and law enforcement. King begins by exposing that he is in Birmingham in the first place because all Americans are harmed by immoral conduct (King 1302). Using a biblical reference, King calls attention to the clergy members’ lack of sympathy toward black Americans’ requests for equal treatment (King 1302). Providing numerous examples, King posits there is good reason to petition governmental officials and highlights the strategies employed (King 1303). “Letter from Birmingham Jail” also bemoans the rhetoric of those who ask black Americans to wait …show more content…
King lays out four distinct processes of a peaceable movement (King 1302). The first of these steps is to accumulate enough details to substantiate that wrongdoing is taking place (King 1302). King asserts, “There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community,” (King 1302). “Gainsay” means to deny or disagree with something (“Gainsay”). This is important to underscore because the primary purpose of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is not to try to convince the pastors that injustices are occurring. It is evident King expects them to know that. Nonetheless, oftentimes we need to be reminded of realities even if we are already aware of