Martin Luther King Jr Create Tension In Letter From Birmingham Jail

Introduction:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This is one of the most well-known quotes in the Declaration of Independence. It states that all men are created equal, that they are entitled to their rights. This is what America is supposed to represent, this is why so many people all over the world flock here, for freedom and equality. In some ways this statement has been represented well, but it definitely has not been fully manifested they way it appears. Unfortunately everywhere, there will be some form of inequality, discrimination, or mistreatment. People are

was a pastor for Dexter Avenue Baptist church and one of the most well-known civil rights activists. He has brought forth hope for the African American people with his many speeches, such as the famous “I Have A Dream” speech. One letter written by King stands out the most in terms of violence and nonviolence. Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham Jail is a very inspiring letter and focuses on the advantages of nonviolent protest and importance of creating a tension in the mind as a replacement for violence. There is one quote that stands out in the letter, “You may well ask: “Why direct action?? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But i must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the

Some say that racism in America and all other forms of racial discrimination can only be fought with nonviolent action. As mentioned above, the tension and influence through the mind is most powerful force. The ability for people, like Martin Luther King, to bring forth so much hope for all African American people solely through his speeches and peaceful protests was amazing! On the other hand, there were some leaders who believed that violence and physical retaliation were more effective. Great African American leaders like Malcolm X and his mentor Elijah Muhammad were people whose actions spoke louder than their words. Going back to times of slavery, the bloody rebellions that took place were for the sake of freedom and rightful equality. The problem here is which one is the “right” way? Which methods is most effective? Both sides also have their disadvantages, nonviolent protest doesn’t always defend well against violent behavior from people who are oppose, like the march on Selma the backlash from racist bystanders and police completely pushed the protesters back. Violent protest can easily get out of hand, protesters in Baltimore were carded as criminals; people claim that the rioters were ill-informed on the actual issue and were just there to cause a