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Letter From Birmingham Jail Thesis

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The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King is a seminal piece of the Civil Rights Movement, penned in April 1963 while King was incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for leading nonviolent protests against segregation. The letter serves as a defining piece of King’s legacy more broadly, originally written in response to criticism from eight white Alabama clergymen. Notably, around halfway through the letter, one passage stands out as representing a definitive tonal shift. (Add 1-2 sentences of more context) (Insert thesis statement here). In this particular passage, King addresses his Christian and Jewish brothers and makes two important confessions. First, he admits that he has been extremely disappointed in the so-called "white …show more content…

He recognizes their assertions that they support the civil rights movement but then shows how their inaction and lack of comprehension actually impede it. This highlights their hypocrisy by drawing attention to the stark difference between their statements and their behavior. Additionally, he repeats the phrase "wait until a "more favorable season" to highlight the white moderates' laziness and propensity to delay justice. The white moderate's belief in the myth of time, which holds that change will happen eventually whether or not they take action, is reinforced by this repetition. Taken collectively, King's use of literary and rhetorical elements in this passage serves to emphasize his disappointment with the white moderate and to reinforce the importance of justice in the pursuit of …show more content…

King's constant claim that the Civil Rights Movement is a fight for justice, not only an end to racial segregation, supports this viewpoint. King's famous quote, "Injustice everywhere is a menace to justice everywhere," demonstrates his vision of the fight for freedom as a fight for justice. In other words, King understands that everyone's rights are at stake in the fight for freedom, not just those of African Americans. King's critique of the white moderate emphasizes the significance of initiative and dedication in the fight for freedom. Lukewarm acceptance, according to King, is more confounding than outright rejection since it downplays the importance of the battle and upholds the status quo. King's words are indeed a call to action, imploring listeners to stand up for justice and to support the direct action strategies employed by the Civil Rights Movement. King's claim that partial comprehension is more aggravating than a complete misunderstanding highlights the significance of knowledge and dedication in the fight for

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1172 Words | 5 Pages

He supports his claim first by comparing injustice and unjust laws with justice and just laws, then calling the African American population to action, then clarifying what exactly has been and can be done against the racial inequality, and then finally restating his personal progress and goals. King's purpose is to call African-Americans to action against racial and social inequality in order to strengthen the civil rights movement. He creates a frustrated but calm and peaceful tone for those that are infuriated by the social

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1022 Words | 5 Pages

Knowing this King uses allusions all through the letter to constantly remind the clergymen that the idea of segregation is directly opposing what their religious texts are stating. He also compares the plight of the African Americans to that of the teachings of Jesus Christ and his journey through adversity. King alludes to the spread of Christianity when he says, “Just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.” (1) This gives King the advantage to make himself into a sort of martyr by comparing his journey to spread his belief of racial equality to that of the people who spread the Christian faith and made it into a nationally recognized religion.

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King later writes, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (4). He is justified and had every right to protest in the city of Birmingham, for civil liberties and justice. Challenged by the opposing, white population, comfortable in their segregated establishments and ideologies. King utilizes logos to help his audience understand the urgency of the Civil Rights movement and directly address the criticisms against his presence in Birmingham. “Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application.

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King uses this to too compare himself with god which was also a so called “extremist” which might all too make the Clergymen rethink what they just did and questions themselves of who is the real extremist and if King is truly right. As a matter of fact, King also brings this piece of anology of the issue of what is legal and what is not legal here he states a piece of history that we should not forget “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did was ‘Legal’ and everything the Hungarian Freedom Fighters did in Hungary was illegal”. He includes this because the statement shows something in history that is happening how everything

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709 Words | 3 Pages

King did not know the white clergy, whom he called his letter. He hoped their eyes would have been open to the brutal segregation. One reason for writing to the other clergy was because the King felt that the white church let him down. Was he accusing the white minister of not aiding the end of segregation due to the fact that African-Americans are a different color by skin? Or was it just a way of stating he was disappointed in them?

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1273 Words | 6 Pages

King was hoping the clergymen, who were often put in a difficult predicament during these times due to their political involvement, would conform, not only under political aspects but also biblical aspects. King makes it known that civil disobedience is not a new problem. Christians stood their ground centuries ago, just as King and his people are; therefore why are the clergymen criticizing him? King writes: “Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God consciousness and never ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion?” What King is trying to get across is that just as Jesus wasn’t condemned for God’s crucifixion through his devotion, King and his people shouldn’t be condemned for peacefully responding to segregation: “Protect the robbed & punish the robber.”

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In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King uses multiple devices of persuasive rhetoric in order to fight injustice. King, a reverend, was a large advocate for civil rights in midst of the great movement calling for equality among all men and women. His letter is widely renowned for King’s proclamation that “in any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of facts to determine whether injustice exists, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action” (par. 6). His usage of tone and carefully placed anaphora aid King in this persuasive essay by further providing insight and evidence that support King’s four points. From Critical Thinking to Argument defines tone as “attitude towards self, topic, and

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734 Words | 3 Pages

King did not know that the white clergy, whom he called his letter. He hoped their eyes would have been open to the brutal segregation. One reason for writing to the other clergy was because the King felt that the white church let him down. Was he accusing the white minister of not aiding the end segregation due to the fact that for African-Americans is a different color by skin? Or was it just a way of stating he was disappointed in them?

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1546 Words | 7 Pages

King uses biblical allusions to appeal to the eight white clergymen and their religious affiliation when he states his duty to carry the “gospel of freedom beyond his home town... Like Paul.” His final point of this section is the clergymen’s failure to recognize the underlying causes of the demonstrations they so harshly condemn, a failure causing further ignorance and confusion on racial

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1156 Words | 5 Pages

Furthermore, King emphasizes the value of love and nonviolence, appealing to the greatest ideals and beliefs of his readers. “I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need not follow the do-nothingism of the complacent or the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. There is a more excellent way, of love and nonviolent protest.” (King 4). King is able to evoke an emotional response in his readers and motivate them to take action by portraying the civil rights issue in terms of justice and wrong.

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538 Words | 3 Pages

Yet that was over 50 years ago, and many people only see him as benefactor of the past and not a source of relevancy to their current lives. Today in 2016, we still struggle with inequalities rooted in prejudice, hostilities and fear. For example, black people not only make up a good source of the incarcerated population, but they are jailed at several times the rate of whites. Studies also prove that Black people are more likely to be shot by cops. However, King states that “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”, (Letter from Birmingham Jail, 1963).

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251 Words | 2 Pages

We live in a world with currently many conflicts from the racial disparity in high incarceration rates to gun violence and the war over gun rights. In his letter, King describes that Black Americans have no identity and that the oppressed cannot remain oppressed forever. King implies that they cannot be told to “wait for justice” because if they simply

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873 Words | 4 Pages

This “Wait” has almost always meant “Never.” We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied” (King Jr. 61). When people hear the word wait, they hope to receive news on a situation. However, if they have waited long enough and do not receive an answer, they tend to change their identity by showing spurts of anger or frustration. African Americans at the time, expressed how they wanted the same rights as White Americans but in return did not receive

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732 Words | 3 Pages

“Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.” (King). King calms the African Americans who are being oppressed by using the words, “this situation can and will be changed.” and “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.” which gives them hope that there will be a new day when a change will take place.

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He places the strong authority of the declaration on his side to show how the American people are in contradiction to their own “sacred obligation” and the Negros have gotten a “bad check.” A metaphor representing the unfulfilled promise of human rights for the African Americans. King skillfully evokes an emotional response from all races with the use of religion: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” By doing this he finds a common ground that brings black and whites closer with a common belief in God they share, as well as the mention of

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