Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery Bus, black college students started sit-ins to be served at segregated lunch counters, young black children were protected to be able to attend Little Rock High School, are all examples of civil disobedience being used to bring about civil rights. The Civil Rights Movement, in particular through the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, exercised civil disobedience as a method to bring about change. The use of civil disobedience in the civil rights movement allowed the movement to have “achieved great success more quickly than any other movement in American History“(Bill of Rights Institute). As Dr. Martin Luther King wrote from a Birmingham jail, “justice too long delayed is justice

King addressed the use of civil disobedience in a letter from jail. The letter was an answer to criticism received from others in the movement who felt the activities in Birmingham were “unwise and untimely”(LBJ). King’s defensive outlined the exact definition of civil disobedience. The letter, written from a jail cell highlights the acknowledgement of the willingness to accept the consequences for the act of civil disobedience. King defended the civil rights movement activities in Birmingham by writing that the movement was called to “engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary”(LBJ). King defended the actions by reminding critics that in Birmingham all of the steps for a nonviolent campaign were exhausted and that indeed the last step of direct action was required to initiate change. King further called the actions of the movement “legitimate and

Against the billy clubs and tear gas, they stuck to what they knew would bring about change in the best way, a peaceful disobedience. The marchers, “refused to be silenced, beaten or ignored”(Document of freedom). The rights fought for, were brought to the government in a peaceful and nonviolent manner. The marchers were protesting for a right that was given, but not allowed to be used. The march allowed all Americans to see the disparity between the laws across the states and the manner in which various interpretations of the laws could negatively impact American