In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King, Jr. is responding to criticism of the peaceful protests and sit-in’s that were taking place in Birmingham, which led to his being arrested and the reason that he was in jail. He first responds to the accusation of being an “outsider” by setting the stage for his being in Birmingham due to being invited because of his ties to the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights organization and due to the fact that he is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Next, Martin Luther King expands on his moral beliefs that there is “injustice” in the way that Birmingham is “the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States”. He points out that the injustice he
Civil Disobedience took place on a large scale. This is significant because as more African Americans joined in rallies, protests, and marches, more awareness was raised. Many African Americans were mercilessly beat and or executed because of their choice for non-violent protests, passive resistance. For example, the 1963 Birmingham movement was a series of non-violent protests and marches. As a result, many were assaulted by police dogs others, some even students, were struck by high pressure water. Furthermore, a group called the SCLC emerged to advance the progress of civil
Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States and African Americans were tired of the bad treatment that they were receiving so they started to peacefully protest and that event paved the way towards civil rights. Another historical event that happened was
The Letter from Birmingham Jail proclaims the truth of black suffering out to the white community readers. In Birmingham, it is well known that racial injustice has taken a widespread over the black general public; they are faced with police brutality and the consequences of unjust treatments. Consequently, there are more unsolved bombings of black homes and churches in Birmingham compared to other cities in the country. Their own church, where their family, neighbors, and friends come to peacefully worship were targeted by a hate group. When the victimized communities seek justice, they are ignored. To this day, America still faces police brutality and nothing is being done to stop the white police from using excessive force. If a white community
The students of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College (A&T), embarked on a new journey on February 1st, 1960. In the city of Greensboro, the college students decided they would go to a lunch counter (segregated for only Whites) and ask for service. This act of Civil Rights Movement, following after the Brown v. Board of Education case, was the start of something new for African Americans. The college students inspired others to form their own sit-ins and they inspired the start of new organizations such as Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In general, the students of the Greensboro sit-in both continued and started their own form of a Civil Rights Movement.
In the “letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he uses pathos, logos and rhetorical devices such as imagery, sarcasm and biblical allusions to show how his work of nonviolent protests are smart and how Birmingham has violated their civil rights. He expresses himself in his letter by explaining why he can not wait any longer because of the countless murders, the unsolved bombing, lynching, and violence towards the black community. MLK Jr. came across a statement which was a call for unity by eight Clergymen while being in the Birmingham city jail because of him not having a license to protest. In response to the eight Clergymen, Dr. king decided to write a historical letter letting them know that freedom was not an option because of the false promise and the continued violence. The letter is written to inform the people who are against, neutral and with segregation that it is time to take action and prove to the clergymen why he will stand up for what is right.
Chapter 22 talks about the good neighbor policy that was created by President Roosevelt. He had plans to improve diplomacy between the United States and its Latin neighbors by being a “good neighbor”. He felt the United States could offer Military intervention in those countries. He also tried to improve Soviet Relations by exchanging ambassadors. The American Indians had the opportunity to participate in the war efforts as “code talkers”. These code talkers were instrumental because they could communicate in their own language, something the Japanese could not figure out. Many Indians were able to leave the reservations and join the war effort by taking jobs in different war industries. Many did not return to the reservations after the war, once they were exposed to urban life. For the first time, many were able to attend college due to the GI bill. Asian Americans also participated in the war. These were immigrants from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. Mostly they were put into exclusive Asian units.
In 1963, Birmingham Alabama was a place where African Americans struggled for equal rights. From segregation to discrimination, Birmingham consisted of all many injustice activities which involved civil rights. In 1963, Martin Luther King was arrested from protesting the treatment of African Americans. Shortly afterwards he was both criticized and applauded for his actions in the protest. During this time, King decided to write a letter to address those who questioned his actions. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King effectively used the rhetorical strategy of describing to achieve his purpose of defending his reason for protesting, a model that can be applied to the upcoming portfolio project.
On April 12, 1963, eight clergymen wrote an open letter, “A Call for Unity”. In this published letter, the clergymen expressed their strong disapproval of the civil rights demonstrations taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. That same day, civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for protesting without a permit. In his short eleven-day jail sentence, Dr. King directly responded to the clergymen with a letter of his own. In his letter, Dr. King informed his readers about the protests in Birmingham. He explained why the protesters were civilly infringing racist laws and city ordinances; why the protesters had truth and justice; and how he was thwarted with the clergyman and white moderates in the South who said they supported his cause. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. King incorporates biblical and historical allusions to give him credibility with his target audience, the clergymen. Additionally, Dr. King subtly asks rhetorical questions and makes logical conclusions to force his audience to consider his strategy of nonviolent resistance to cease racism and oppression.
“We shall overcome,” sang the black children of Birmingham, Alabama. On May 2 1963 the Children's March of Birmingham, Alabama started. Over 3000 kids were involved and most ended up in jail. To this day the march has changed how the world looks at black children's rights. The children's march has lead up to what now is called the civil rights act which has also changed our world today.
1. What does King mean by “constructive nonviolent tension” and how does he define its goal?
One of the most horrific bombing has happened in Birmingham Alabama. It had happened at 10:22 a.m. on the morning of September 15,1963. 200 church members were in the building and many attending Sunday school classes before the start of the 11 a.m. service-when the bomb donated on the church’s East side, spraying mortar and bricks from the front of the church and caving its interior walls. Most parishioners were able to evacuate the building as it filled with smoke but, the bodies of the 4 young girls named Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robert, and Denise McNair were found beneath the rubble in a basement restroom. 11-year-old Sarah Collins, who was also in the restroom at the time of the explosion, lost her right eye, and more than 20 other people were injured in the blast. So many of people were scared and worried about what happened to the church and if their families were alright.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which is an organization operating in every Southern state with its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. He came to Birmingham, Alabama because injustice lies there and helped protest about it in a nonviolent demonstration against racial discrimination. The eight clergymen of the South did not approve of these demonstrations happening which caused Dr. King to be confined in Birmingham Jail cell, writing a letter to them men explaining on why he was in Birmingham and what his reasons were for these protests. He begins to talk about and explain the four basic steps that needed to be followed for any nonviolent campaign. He also gives the audience a better understanding by giving a visual glimpse of what the black community had to endure.
In the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr addresses seven clergymen about a letter they wrote about King and his demonstrations with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King addresses these clergymen in a professional manner, but he also states the reasons why he and the rest of the protesters are protesting. Even though people have different views of the world, everyone has the same hopes and dreams for their country to be perfect.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential figure because of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement despite the challenges he faced such as constantly being arrested and his house being bombed. One of the first accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was his founding and presidency of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The SCLC is a civil rights group that focused on desegregating the south. The group's first focus was on desegregating the bus system, but they eventually moved on to greater things such as registering blacks to vote and organizing peaceful protests. This proves that King was a successful civil rights leader, even though he struggled against racists whites in power that would try to oppress him and his group.