Dr. King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

Improved Essays
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a letter written by Dr. King in 1963, that was addressed to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during their protests in Birmingham. Dr. King tells the clergymen that he was unhappy about their statements and criticisms, and that he wishes to address their concerns. Dr. King was arrested and sent to jail for protesting segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King was disappointed with the clergymen in the South, who supposedly believed in his cause but didn't like the "tension" and “uneasiness” caused by the protests. Dr. King follows up by making a profound point, that how without tension, there would never be a push, to make a change for anything. Dr. King makes various points as to why protesting is sometimes necessary, and this is an …show more content…
King was trying to say in his letter is still very important today. My favorite part of the letter was when he says, “Injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.” I couldn’t agree with this more. What I took from this was that we must work together to succeed at all in anything. Dr. King finishes the paragraph by saying, “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” (659). I like this quote because it seems so obvious, but it still happens every day. If we thought before we reacted, maybe less people could be effected by the actions made by others. If we worked more as one, we could accomplish so much more. I think this letter is still important today because there is still racism, segregation, and injustice. If we could hear what Dr. King was trying to tell us in this letter, maybe we could work together and live in a just America. Maybe we could live in a world with less hate and more friendship. Maybe there wouldn’t have to be direct action in protesting and people trying to make a bold statement if we could just live united, as our country motto

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    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.…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 1963, Dr. King wrote a letter to eight white clergymen while he incarcerated in Birmingham Jail. This letters, which widely known as an important text of the civil rights movement, was Dr. King’s response to clergymen's criticism and accusation, in which he answered why he came to Birmingham fought for civil right and explained the indecency of racial injustice. He utilized several kinds of rhetorical strategies in his letter to establish pathos, ethos, and logos, which makes his argument more persuasive. The rigorous logical structure he established makes his letter more convincing.…

    • 314 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In 1963, King, along with the SCLC led a nonviolent campaign against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. As a result, there was countless actions of police brutality, and King was taken into police custody. On the day of his arrest, eight clergymen wrote a statement that was published in the local newspapers called “A Call for Unity” openly criticizing King and the SCLC for their actions. King then wrote his response, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, four days later. He used rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, and logos to thoroughly discuss the acts of racial injustice in the time period, and convey his opinion on the topic.…

    • 898 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The letter was was written to directly criticize king for his actions in Birmingham and elsewhere, they also criticized him for being an outsider and that he has no business involving himself in another states affairs. King read this letter and felt hurt to receive such criticisms. King then wrote a response on paper that was smuggled into the jail by his fellow inmates. “Dr. King wanted Christian ministers to see that the meaning of Christian discipleship was at the heard of the African American struggle for freedom, justice, and equality” (Washington 84). King also noted that resting to unjust laws is a moral obligation to those who stand by and lay witness to them.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is good to know the long lasting impact his letter had towards the civil rights movement was one of…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    King's persuasive yet patient rhetoric addresses each of their concerns in turn while exposing the deep-seated hurt and betrayal felt by many members of the black community. His main arguments were the time for change is now, nature of segregation and failings of the white moderate. Martin Luther King said, “For the free, there is no convenient time to take a stand against injustice; for the oppressed, the time is now.” It means that we should not wait for freedom. He also mentioned segregation is cruel to those who are subjected to it and immoral in the eyes of God.…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King, Jr., writes about injustice throughout America because of racial segregation. Although the letter is written much later after the Bread and Roses strike, it proves how impactful the strike was on future ideas and protests. Dr. King is writing to Alabama clergymen from a jail cell he was heldput in for protesting. The letter is meant to be a message to all of America in order to allow people to fight for what they believe is right. Dr. King was a leader of the Civil Rights Movements, that, for years, has been restricted by government officials and the police from protesting against racial injustice.…

    • 1341 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s "Letter From Birmingham Jail" was a masterful piece of words, which was put together beautifully to make a statement about the injustice that was everywhere, during the time when he had urged his fellow african americans to stand up for their rights. These words, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," were the foundation of his letter. Dr.King used many different arguments in his letter, which he compared and contrasted the just and unjust laws, and which laws should be followed. Dr. King understands that the clergymen value negotiation over protest, but he insists that negotiations cannot happen without protest, which creates a crisis and tension that forces unwilling parties to negotiate in good faith. Gene Sharp created a list for what to do if you are going to have a protest, a non violent protest, and gives key ideas of displaying symbolic public acts.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Although I have read and analyzed this letter previously in my studies many years ago, reading this letter at this time in my life was far more profound this time around. It gave me the feeling that I was reading it for the very first time. I was completely moved emotionally but extremely impressed by the factual and biblical examples that encompassed the entire letter. I knew that Dr. King was a highly passionate and intelligent man, but the factual component of the letter appealed to my reasoning and logic. I believe in quality for all based on my emotions, but what I have learned most recently in an Ethics class is that emotion alone is not a sufficient basis for deciding what we should or should not do.…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most powerful African American leaders of all time. Most known for his I Have a Dream speech, King wrote many other works that support African Americans and their fight for equal rights, including his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In the letter, King addresses many key points, including the fact that “groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.” Getting together with others in groups can be a good thing, but for the most part, groups tend to bring out the bad side in people.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American that lived and fought through racial oppression. He was one of the most well known leaders of nonviolent protests. Being a minority trying to persuade the privilege that it’s time for change is a tough job. In King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” has many components that are crucial to catching the audience attention and proving a point. In this letter Martin Luther King Jr. was responding back to rude comments that clergymen made about him and the protesting.…

    • 1284 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” (King par. 4). Dr. King lived in Georgia at this time, but because of the injustice that was occurring in Birmingham, he left to Alabama because the discrimination that was occuring in Alabama was affecting him indirectly. Thus he called on others to participate in civil disobedience with him. This protesting not…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    In 1936, civil movements started to be made for gains in the United States regarding Civil Rights. The first case was “Murray v. Pearson”. Donald Gaines Murray made an application to attend to the University of Maryland School of Law on January 24, 1935, but his application was rejected because The University of Maryland did not accept to admit black students. However, in 1936, the Court of Appeals decided that black people must be accepted because there wasn’t any other law schools in Maryland for black students. Lawyers Charles Houston and Thurgood Marshall won the case even though Marshall had been denied admission himself.…

    • 1248 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is a letter that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote to explain his actions because he was arrested. When writing this letter, King explains his reasons for protesting in Birmingham, Alabama. He wants the clergymen to know that he wants to address the issue of injustice against blacks. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos and diction to support his reasoning in the letter. Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos to build his argument, One example of patos within the letter would be found in section 3.…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    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…

    • 1081 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays