ipl-logo

Essay On Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

1124 Words5 Pages

In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter to fellow clergy after he was arrested for civil disobedience in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King not only talks about his views on the reaction of people who are considered lower class but ones who also have a higher rank. Dr. King explains that he believes that there were many unjust reasons that he was placed in jail, but also understood his consequences of his actions. We as Americans not only African Americans but all races from then to this day and age now still commend and respect all of the sacrifices Dr. King made. Although today he would be disappointed as we witness everything he fought for arise again at this time. Dr. King described the difference between just and unjust laws …show more content…

A case that dates back to March 1944 is the execution case dealing with 14 year old George Stinnely who was accused of killing and raping two white girls in South Carolina. Stinnley became the youngest to ever be executed. As a criminal Justice major and ready the definition of what Dr. King believed was unjust, we can say this case was unjust. Stinnely because he was a minor did not and was not allowed to have his parents in the interrogation room with him. By law that is illegal, at some point while a minor is being questioned the parents are allowed to be in the room with the child. The US Supreme court case of Gideon v. Waignwright states that there is a right to a counsel which was decided in 1936. There were stated facts that there were no written records recorded stating a confession from George. There were no accurate witness, just hearsay and and back in those times blatant discrimination. When brought to trial, Stinnley was surrounded by an all-white jury, white judge, and after two and half hours with very little to no witnessed Stinnley was sentenced to execution and his attorney decided not to appeal and retry the case. Also in a political aspect how …show more content…

King believes that there is a difference between laws with is the legal term and just being morally right. Dr. King believed although there were many segregation laws that were unjust that dealt with discrimination, he believed as a man of God someone who spoke and taught the gospel that treating people differently because the color of their skin was morally unjust. A well-known fact that have been stated in many history books say that the well-known KKK (Klu Klux Klan) were Christians. Throughout history the KKK have committed more hate crimes and any other organization. It is said that many pastors were a part of the KKK and many meetings discussing their next hate crime were taken place in churches around the south. The KKK committed crimes such as cross burnings in yards and churches, bombings in African American homes and rioting in the environment of African Americans. While many people criticized Dr. Kings work and tenacity to make America a better place he believed he did nothing wrong and none of his action whether it be marches or protest were done untimely. Although through the eyes of others, many believed that because there were Jim Crow laws and many discriminatory rules have not yet seized he was maybe too bold to have done all of the political actions during that time knowing the consequences of his

Show More
Related
232 Words | 1 Pages

Others might say all leaders are rebels because they perform illegal actions to get what they want. For example, King, Martin Luther Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, states, “But I am sure that if I had lived in Germany during this time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers even though it was illegal.” This means Mr.King would’ve helped unexplored Jews in Hitler 's Germany even if it meant going against the law. This shows Mr.King, a leader representing rebellion as he states he wouldn 't have a problem braking authority. Nevertheless not all leaders are rebels.

Read More
448 Words | 2 Pages

Martin Luther King, Jr. attempts to persuade clergymen to follow in his civil rights movement through exhibiting his knowledge over just and unjust laws, displaying peaceful behavior, and empathetic diction. King was very knowledgeable about laws and his right as a human. King stated laws in his letter to the clergymen, which displayed his credibility. He did not only state laws, he also stated just and unjust laws. King stated, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”

Read More
841 Words | 4 Pages

In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. is responding to accusations made by eight Alabama clergymen. He asserts that his actions, and the actions of his followers were just and reasonable. He notes that the clergymen claimed he was acting too hastily but King explains that their actions were not hasty. He backs up his actions with persuasive argument and reasoning. He points out ways that others actions have been unjust and immoral.

Read More
760 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King and Frederick Roosevelt are both strong powered speakers of equal rights. These two amazing people have talked and fought for equal rights of every human being. With that, they’ve both have similarities in their amazing speeches letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King and four freedoms speech by Roosevelt. In 1963, MLK wrote a remarkable letter to the clergyman following his arrest In Birmingham. Whereas in 1941, Roosevelt published a speech to Congress on the state of the union.

Read More
895 Words | 4 Pages

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

Read More
803 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, uses the lense of social power in order to get his thoughts across. Social power is the degree of influence that an individual or organization has among their peers and within their society as a whole. This idea is illustrated throughout his letter to show the significance of the disabilities and unfair treatment the black community has faced for the entirety of their existence. African americans have never been able to gain the respect from others they deserve due to the idea that other races have more power on them simply due to the color of their skin. Martin Luther King is able to express these ideas by referencing multiple examples as to how social power has negatively affected their societal presence for many years.

Read More
1302 Words | 6 Pages

I believe that paragraphs 9 and 12 from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” are the strongest paragraphs in this letter of his. These paragraph is so profound and truly explain why segregation is unjust in two short paragraphs. They don’t go into a lot of detail on why segregation is unjust, because they don’t need to. They’re argument is strong enough with how short they are. Since these paragraphs give an easy to understand and short reasoning as to why segregation is unjust, explains what makes a law just or unjust, and show that just laws can be unjust when applied to situations such as segregation, I believe they are the strongest paragraphs in this letter.

Read More
726 Words | 3 Pages

Civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail, argues against criticism from eight Alabama clergymen, and addresses their concerns. He defends his position, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), against accusations of disturbing the peace in Birmingham, as well as explaining his values and opinions. Throughout the letter, King adopts a strong logical and credible tone, and reinforces his position through the use of strong emotional justifications, in order to appeal to the clergymen and defend his public image. Martin Luther King opens up his Letter from Birmingham City Jail by appealing to the clergymen's emotions, and assuring his peaceful response, which he describes in "patient and

Read More
1522 Words | 7 Pages

King believed that if he could just go to Birmingham, and protest non-violently, that he could make a difference. On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was imprisoned, in Birmingham, for protesting the civil rights of Black Americans. While in jail, he began writing a letter addressing the clergymen. His main audience in writing this letter was to the eight clergymen who criticized his actions and also the majority of the population as well. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, argues that injustice

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

MLK’s ultimate claim is that the church is to blame for these happenings and “the judgement of God is upon the Church as never before”(276). King stated how even the people who were in the church trying to fight for justice had been looked down upon and some had been kicked out of their own churches. King’s claims were passionately presented. He relentlessly provided evidence to prove his position on the issue of injustice and also showed ample amounts of examples to solve these problems.

Read More
878 Words | 4 Pages

Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” addresses criticism from clergymen. King expresses his belief that his actions during the Human Right Movement were not “untimely,” and that he is not an “outsider. ”(1) King’s purpose is to inform them of his reason for being there and why he believes that although there may never be a proper time to change society, he is tired of it happening to his people. He adopts an optimistic tone in hopes that he can convince the people of Birmingham to give everyone their Human Rights that they deserve.

Read More
1134 Words | 5 Pages

Although King had countless followers during the Civil Rights Movement, he warped their minds to believe that his decision was the right decision. King was just another African American who was a part

Read More
959 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
1119 Words | 5 Pages

In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “A Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” he provides answers to fundamental metaphysical questions regarding the nature of the human soul. Though his letter is addressed to a group of eight clergymen criticizing his direct action campaign in Birmingham, his ultimate aim is the uplifting of human personhood. Underlying King’s letter is a philosophical, hylemorphic anthropology which puts an anchor deep into a certain conception of personhood, and binds all people who are to read it. He looks deeply at the nature of human beings, as rational creatures who are made to love and be loved, and from thence, deliberates that there is a universal Gospel of Freedom and Justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. asserts that there are universal principles justifying what actions are morally right and wrong, just and unjust.

Read More
425 Words | 2 Pages

Americans are denied their basic civil rights. King believes that African Americans in Birmingham (which represents American society as a whole) should have the right to their own opinions (freedom of speech), freedom to be able to participate in non-violent protest or assembly, should be registered voters and have the right to vote in general, participate in sit-ins, freedom rides, should have the same privileges that are afforded to the white moderate. African Americans should not be denied the right to go to the same schools, drink from the same fountains, have to suffer police brutality, to be thrown in jail for peaceful protesting, being humiliated day after day by “white” and “colored” signs which separated social and economic institutions, and denied equal goods and services. (King 2). King recognized that his people should have these basic civil rights, but segregation which was the law at the time deprived his people of those rights.

Read More

More about Essay On Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

Related Topics

Open Document