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Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter To Birmingham Jail

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In this paper, I will be discussing how Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” affected the surrounding community in many ways. First, we will look at the situation King was in and the reason and motivation behind why he writes this letter. King does a great job at endorsing a sense of community in his letter written in Birmingham jail in response to “A Call for Unity” by the clergymen of Alabama. His discussion on nonviolence and the importance of having a Christ like attitude are clear examples of how Christians today should influence their communities. His letter still has a strong influence in the way people think about racial rights today, more than 50 years later. Overall, King’s letter, with his commanding yet humble …show more content…

“As King wrote about nonviolence, he no doubt recalled the numerous instances in which civil rights activists had maintained their courage and discipline and responded to their oppressors with love” (Colaiaco). Martin Luther King believed that it is impossible to achieve a moral end by immoral means without causing damage to the soul and making oneself unworthy. One of the requirements of the volunteers of the non-violent demonstrations was to sign a “commitment card” which contained the Ten Commandments of the nonviolent movement. The first commandment required them to “meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.” Others explained that they must “walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love” and “refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.” Once these rules were ingrained in their minds, then they could participate in the demonstrations in order to change the community around them for the better. Even though the problem of racial injustice will never be fixed, King believed that to accept passively the issues of an unjust system is to cooperate with the evil in that system (Colaiaco). In our communities today, we as Christians must do more than to accept the evil in them, but actively fight that evil for the greater

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In the letter,” Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King responds to eight clergymen who harshly criticize his movement in Birmingham. He explains to them why he got involved in the segregational affairs of Birmingham, his non-violent direct action approach on segregation, and in general his beliefs on segregated America. As a person of a non-white race I commend Martin Luther King Jr. on his actions and bravery in the Civil Rights Movement. Due to his diligence, today I can say that I can enter whatever restaurant of my choice and go to school with children that are white or black. This letter allows me to see more than words on paper, but imagery of the struggle and pain of those who fight against unjust laws.

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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.

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Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Martin Luther King Jr. graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta and also received his a Ph. D. in technology from Boston University. King resigned from his pastor position at a church in Alabama and moved back to Atlanta to lead the activities of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. From 1960 to Kings last days of life him and his father would pastor together at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter titled “Letter From Birmingham Jail” in April 1963 as a response to a “published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama was composed under somewhat constricting

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In his letter “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King, Junior, effectively uses diction and syntax, employs many rhetorical strategies, such as ethos and anaphora, and supports the audience, speaker, and his purpose to help further his argument to convince people that segregation is wrong. Martin Luther King, Junior, writes from his jail cell with a purpose. A purpose to answer criticism of his work and ideas that lands him in jail and to explain the reason behind his work and ideas, so that others will understand and agree with him. He wants to justify his actions to stop segregation and help people realize that they should not be throwing him in jail, but instead they should be looking through his eyes and seeing what hardships he, along with every other African American, is experiencing due to segregation.

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