Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

The purpose of Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK) words were to gain support from the white clergymen by tugging at their heartstrings, while knowing that at heart they were righteous men who understood the word of God like no other. While held captive in Birmingham County Jail, MLK was criticized for his actions, which were deemed “untimely” and “unwise.” Dr.King was a patient man who knew that reacting with anger would only upset the clergy further. So he sat down and wrote a letter to any man who would listen and explained why he was standing up for the oppressed. In Letters from a Birmingham Jail, Dr.King explained the hardships a black person faces everyday to a white man who will never experience the prejudice and heartbreak of racial discrimination.

In the letter MLK speaks up about the injustice in Birmingham by stating “ I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” He says this in response to the criticisms of white folk saying Birmingham is like any other town and that Dr.King was just upsetting the peace. He calmly explains that associates of his in Birmingham requested his help with a peaceful protest against the injustice in Birmingham against the colored community. In his words, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice

He speaks about the struggles of black men and women by talking about the plethora of horrors the black community faces everyday not just in Birmingham, but across the South. He brings up questions of morality by talking about lynchings of his black brothers and sisters and the moment when he has to explain to his daughter just why she can’t go to FunTown. He talks about seeing the “clouds of inferiority”, he sees forming in the minds of young children. He attempts to get the clergymen to understand his reasoning by bringing up the discrimination young black children face before they’re even a year