Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

Overcoming injustice and oppression is a difficult thing to do. Overcoming institutional, century’s old, outright and abject injustice and oppression is another animal all together. In a letter written from his Birmingham jail cell, Dr. King weaves philosophical ideals and scriptural/moral principles into a fabric of reason which absolutely decimates the foundations of segregation and its active or tacit supporters. While providing clear proof of his deep understanding of the issue at hand, Dr. King authors a moving yet emotionally grounded appeal to his fellow man about their sense of justice, morality, responsibility, and motive in placing one race above another. In addressing the difference between just and unjust laws, Dr. King first

King further illustrates another aspect separating just and unjust laws: the moral difference. While showing that a just law aligns with Gods law, Dr. King counters that an unjust law does just the opposite in that it is out of alignment with Gods law, the ultimate moral law. With all law originating from the Almighty Creator established, Dr. King states how the human law of segregation “distorts the soul and damages the personality” as it elevates one person or group over another. The weight of his moral argument is powerful enough on its own measure but Dr. King deepens the thrust of his position by referencing sin as the great separator between God and man. Likewise, segregation is visible evidence of wide separation between groups of men and between man and his Creator (King pg

King holds his greatest disappointment for the white leaders of the church. His own personal love of the gospel and what it stands for certainly makes his sense of utter bewilderment at his fellow clergyman all the more painful and mesmerizing. With an obvious complete and solid foundation in his ideas on just and moral law, Dr. King surmised that the white church would stand for the moral high ground over the legality of a man made law. He felt the white church would stand together as moral leaders and stick to their edict to “obey God as ruler rather than man”. He was sadly mistaken. Yet, despite such angst and disappointment, Dr. King expresses real love for the church and recalls the days when clergymen and Christian brothers refused to be bound by conformity or status quo. To see his fellow clergymen commend the police must have been salt in the wound for Dr. King and all the non-violent protestors. The commendation of officers who work to keep the same institutional injustices in place speaks against morality and justice no matter how disciplined they were in their policing. But yet, once again, the clergymen, the supposed moral leaders, miss this point. Dr. Kings disappointment in this particular section of his letter is palpable. (Acts 5:29; King pg