In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King professes his disappointment with the white moderates for calling him an extremist for his schemes. At first, in paragraph 27, King does not deny the fact-by using anaphora- that there are some Negros who “advocate violence”, but he also asserts that there are even more for “nonviolent protest”(King 28). In making this comment, King urges for people to look at his acts of nonviolent protesting . Indeed the insignificant amount of violence will be more looked upon than the nonviolence; however, there are numerous acts nonvilence that should surpass this. Additionally, in paragraph 31, King states how at first he despised the label but then “gained [...] satisfaction” from it.
When Dr. King was present, thousands of people would participate in demonstrations.
He as well emphasizes the importance of the demonstration in moral and historical grounds. In this letter, King explains the importance and the planning of the Birmingham demonstration. King illustrates this when he faces the criticism of his demonstrations as “unwise and untimely” (King 1). He shares key features to his anti-violence movement: “determining whether injustices exist, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action” (King 1).
By organizing the boycott and leading the nonviolent resistance against segregated buses, Dr. King embodied the principles of the social contract, asserting that every citizen should enjoy the same rights and privileges, regardless of race. This section provides a deep analysis of Dr. King's unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance as a powerful tool for social and political change. By consistently advocating for peaceful means to achieve racial equality, he emphasized the persuasive and critical aspects of his philosophy. His unwavering belief in nonviolence aligned with the social contract's emphasis on peaceful democratic processes as the path to
In order to achieve true freedom one must discover that you can break unjust laws through peaceful protest. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and “The Speech at The March Washington” by Josephine Baker each article passionately argues about the disadvantages of the black community, the equality and power of education. We must learn to act with patients and not guns we must protect are self’s with a pen and paper not violence. Dr. King once4 said “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. It is unique in history which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it.
In paragraph twelve King says, “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity…”, it is hard to imagine witnessing such brutality and the lack of justice that followed for African-Americans and their families (12). Birmingham, Alabama, reputed for its high rate of police brutality against African-Americans and as being one of the most segregated cities in the country (5). Because of the latter, African-Americans felt the need for direct action and started peacefully demonstrating; their peaceful demonstrations met opposition in the form of police and angry dogs (43). Dr. King himself was a victim of violence at the hands of police and guards at the jail.
King continues to back up this approach by explaining how waiting has not solved anything. Then, a discussion of just versus unjust laws is made to rightfully defend why protestors “break laws.” The last sections focus on King’s disappointment starting with how non-radical white people do not want to deal with the issue. Moreover, he is disappointed in the church and the clergymen who instead of joining his movement insist on making wrongful judgments about it. In conclusion, King states the reasons for his letter being lengthy and the importance of everything he has written.
Civil disobedience is a peaceful, nonviolent, political protest and it has been used by many people across the world, specifically by Thomas Jefferson, Thoreau, and Gandhi in their essays “The Declaration of Independence,” “Civil Disobedience,” and “On Nonviolent Resistance.” All of their essays shows examples of how they used/described civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is one of the many way Jefferson, Gandhi, and Thoreau have went against unfair laws. Thomas Jefferson, our third president, wrote the essay “The Declaration of Independence” on July 4th, 1776. His essay was to Great Britain, and it talked about how the United States wanted their independence from them.
Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physical violence.” Martin Luther King’s peaceful protests movement gained him fame and people wanted to celebrate which is why he is still remembered today. Even though, during this nonviolent approach, him and his followers had to face a lot of violence down South.
Author Carl E. Moyler Resounds Albert Camus and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Call for Justice and Freedom Through his book, the author reintroduces the two Nobel Prize laureates to a generation living in socially and politically challenging times. Tyranny, oppression, racism, exploitation, murder, war and many other faces of injustices choose no time or place to bare their fangs. For this reason, every generation – and every place – needs a hero. Postwar Europe had the philosopher and author Albert Camus and America had the minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr. Both Camus and King are subjects of the book On Freedom and Revolt: A Comparative Investigation (Xulon Press, 2015) by Carl E. Moyer.
My analysis of Gandhi 's non-violent protest is that the most effective protest was the Salt March, an act of civil disobedience. It was a march in colonial India to produce salt for the water as a practice of Bhartiya people until British officials forcibly illegalized this practice. The protest began on March 12, 1930, and was a direct action campaign of the tax resistance and nonviolent protest. This gained international attention and gave motivation to the Indian independence
In August 28, 1963 King led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama. This caught the attention of the entire world. The Freedom March took place in Washington, D.C. Attack dogs and fire hoses were turned against protestors and King was arrested and took to jail during these protests.
The crowd at the march was very diverse, and it included all types of people. A lot of people participated in this event, and it helped change a lot during the Civil Rights Movement. The highlight of the March on Washington was the “I Have a Dream” speech given by Martin Luther King Jr.. His speech was at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. More than 200,000 people listened to Martin
“A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes. ”~ Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi can be depicted as a man who strived for peace throughout his trials and tribulations. His spirituality and belief in justice inspired people all over the world.
On April 3rd, 1968, Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his speech named “I 've Been to the Mountaintop”. Three days later, on April 6th, he was shot and killed. What lives long after his death is the message he spoke of during his movement for the achievement of equality for those of all races. He achieved in driving home his message by the use of his attitude(s) in his speeches, but most prevalently in his final speech. Dr. King’s overall attitude(s) to the importance of the sanitation workers’ strike, the direction of the civil rights movement, and the importance of equality are shown throughout his speech.
