Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter while in jail addressing clergymen for several criticisms. The clergymen, agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the fight against racial segregation should be fought in the courts, not the streets. He refers the demonstrators as “outsiders” and calls it untimely requesting the Negro community to withdraw support from the demonstration, and urges the local community and law enforcement to continue to show restraint against them while protecting their city from any unwanted violence. Dr. King responded as an African American father, a minister, and activist. He defended his rights to be there in an upfront, impassive tone. Just as Thomas Jefferson wrote in “The Declaration of Independence” that all men are created equal and made it a point that if any form of Government becomes unhelpful “it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it…” (WP. Jefferson P. 696) Dr. King believes the clergymen have rushed to the conclusion in criticizing the demonstrators without equally exploring the racist causes of the

King reasons for being in Birmingham are very obvious, as Jefferson stated in The Declaration of Independence, the people have a right to fight for any injustices that has been done. The law prevented Dr. King his First Amendment, freedom of speech. “So I can urge men to obey 1954 decision of the Subprime Court because it is morally right, and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances because they morally wrong.” (WP. King. P. 722) As the clergymen refer to Dr. King and the others as “outsiders” he replies back “Anyone who lives inside of the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country.” (WP. King P. 719) As Dr. King makes the connection with The Declaration of Independence as to all men are created equal, therefore there are no outsiders in Birmingham, nor has disobeyed any laws, because the so call laws the clergymen were referring to were unjust