Martin Luther King Junior wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in 1963, when African Americans were fighting for their equality. The letter was written when Dr.King and hundreds of other protesters were under arrest for their non-violent demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama. He begins the letter by explaining to the white religious leaders why he is in Birmingham, one of his reasons was the prejudice that was being held in Birmingham. He also describes the torture African Americans go through in their everyday lives. The author argues that if the white people in Birmingham, Alabama don’t start treating the African Americans with proper respect, then it’s going to cause more problem and there will be other alternative actions. If it continues …show more content…
He says “We waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional God-given rights.” Therefore since slavery has started the black man have been wrongfully treated, so giving it time or encouraging other black communities to sit and be patience wasn’t an option anymore. In detail he made a list of abuses the black man endured, among these abuses is his experience explaining to his daughter why she can’t go to an amusement park because of her skin color. Also explains how the white men take a black man’s name and change, first name “nigger” middle name “boy” (King1125). Lastly how the black man live in everyday fear, from day to night not knowing what’s coming next or if there is even a tomorrow. With all those reason he hopes they clergymen understand the black community “unavoidable impatience” (King 1125). Throughout the rest of the letter he talks about how the clergymen are concerned about the African Americans willingness to break …show more content…
The torture and the injustice was happening so often, because of the “white structure” left the black community no choice but to retaliate. I believe this letter was more serious than urgent, it was urgent because M.LK was writing it in jail. One of the most peaceful protesters, all he wanted to do was negotiate and the clergymen and other white people just didn’t want to listen. I believe it was some cry for help to show others in other states to be aware of what’s going on. I think it was more serious because, the author was writing it so he can get a point across. To help them understand that, the black community just wants justice and to be treated equally, not just in Birmingham but throughout the whole country. He wrote the letter in a professional way, he did not use profanity he tried to use a warm tone to where people sense his
Martin Luther king wrote the letter from Birmingham jail and discuss the biggest issues in the black community of Birmingham. In order to justify his desire for racial justice and equality, martin Luther king uses knowledge and potential thoughts given toward to his letter transcending to his people and the churches and he made very important valid statement that gave his audience and open mind and to encourage American society desegregation and having equality among all Americans with no stratification according to racial differences. His letter addresses the American society, political and religious community of America. King uses metaphors saying “ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning
The article “Letter from Birmingham Jail” written by Martin Luther King Jr, was the great example of hope for equality in the future. He believed in nonviolent protests and civil negotiations. As he spent eight days in jail, he wrote the letter for a national audience in order to express his vision. Dr. King wanted both white and black individuals to stop criticizing one another and become united. But his view of the future also consisted of replacing injustice and oppression, to rebuilding freedom and justice.
The oppressed people have to rely on the Federal civil rights legislation thus African Americans' civil rights can be guaranteed. Therefore, the letter is a powerful motivation. He writes the letter to his fellow clergy and other people in the United
The letter was somewhat directed to Dr. Martin Luther king and stated that the demonstrations were not necessary. It also stated that the Negro race must wait for their changes to be made and that activists should engage in local courts negotiations rather than protests. But Dr. King felt otherwise. He expressed that the African-American community could not wait any longer, and that the time for change is now. He wanted all of the Negro community to rally together as one, and make their voices heard through protest in a non-violent
In the Letter to Birmingham, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. explains the difference between just and unjust laws. He began a civil rights movement for the African American community using nonviolent methods while speaking to the masses. His rhetorical speech or letter used persuasive, logic and morals to make his points. His words made man people stop and listen to this man’s words of wisdom for his people. in the opening of the letter, King shows his credentials to the reader, “I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in.
Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to discuss the many issues and privilege that most African American are facing due to hateful violence. He gives the audience a lot of information of the disgusting violence that African American men and women go through all around the United States. Many issues like violence has been a big topic issue that Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. has talked about in his Letter from Birmingham jail and the injustice non racial human beings go through in the country of Birmingham. Violence has been around for as long as a person can remember. Violence has impacted the lives of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. and the African Americans in the city of Birmingham.
The letter from Birmingham jail is an incredibly important document in the civil rights movement and American history. Written by the iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. while he was in jail in 1963, the letter is a powerful response to eight white clergymen who criticized Dr,King an the actions of the civil rights movement. In it,he eloquently defends both non-violent protest and civil disobedience,and explains why the fight for civil rights is essential and urgent. He discusses the history of racism its effects,and how images of justice,liberty and humanity have been distorted by racism and segregation. The letter stands as a timeless reminder of the importance of civil rights ,the power of free speech,and the duty of individuals
The letter stated that only the use of non-violent actions could help achieve the true civil rights for all members of society. In this letter, He talks about justice for his community. The letter was written to fight against the prejudices, wrongs and racial segregation. He was asking for justice for his community.
begins the letter by addressing the Clergymen respectfully, stating that they are “men of genuine good will” (MLK 1) so he felt that it was only right to address their concerns and grievances formally. He first explains that he is in Birmingham because he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing when injustice had been plaguing the city, writing that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (MLK 1). King determined that Birmingham is engulfed in racial injustices, that it is one of the most segregated communities in the nation. The negroes living in Birmingham experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts and that there have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches there than any other city in the nation. King writes that on account of such horrid conditions he found it necessary to first speak with the local merchants in order to try and rid of segregational signs and propaganda in hopes of eliminating some of the causes of the extreme inequality they experienced in their day to day lives in Birmingham.
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he is addressing the Clergymen, more specifically the white church and its leadership who criticized his efforts in the civil rights movement, by calling his demonstrations unwise and untimely. He is also simultaneously addressing the national audience as well in letting them know of the injustices of the time. It was 1963, and Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this letter from inside a jail cell. He had been arrested during an anti-segregation march for not having a valid parading permit in Birmingham, Alabama. In this letter he addresses the criticisms that were brought forth to him.
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”.
Atlanta, Georgia 1929, a Baptist priest was born a son who would grow up to be a fighter of extraordinary proportions. This son grew up into a man-Martin Luther King Jr. and this man became the face of African American civil rights during the 60’s. April 16, 1963 he wrote a powerful letter in response to white clergyman who stated that racial injustices should not be fought in the streets, but rather in the courts. A Letter From Birmingham Jail is a piece that defined a trying time in American history and continues to be relevant today. King discusses non-violent resistance and the deplorable state the church was in.
In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was sent to jail because of a peaceful protest, protesting treatments of blacks in Birmingham. Before the protest a court ordered that protests couldn’t be held in Birmingham. While being held in Birmingham, King wrote what came to be known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Not even King himself could predict how much of an impact this letter would have on the Civil Rights Movement. In the letter kind defended Kings beliefs on Nonviolent Protests, King also counters the accusations of him breaking laws by categorizing segregation laws into just and unjust laws. King uses this principle to help persuade others to join him in his acts of civil disobedience.
In his letter he is mainly reaching out to the entire country to try and get them to put a stop to racial injustice. The way that he addressed and refuted the clergymen's letter is one of the things that made this letter most effective. Another thing that made this letter so effective, is the way that he used the appeal to emotion, or pathos, to pull the readers in and make them think about if it were them that were being discriminated against. Martin Luther King Jr. is very successful in explaining how injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
He was their voice. Throughout the “letter” Dr. King demonstrated pathos by engaging his readers of the struggle of being an African American descent. Dr. King starts off by letting his readers know that he was confined during the time of the letter was written and he was addressing the eight clergymen who called his action of a peaceful protest “untimely and unwise”. (King Jr., p. 645) However, he continues to explain his reason for being in Birmingham by saying that injustice was present and he could not just sit in another state and watch it;” Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”