Resilience In Letter From Birmingham Jail

More than three hundred and forty years’ worth of resilience. On April 16, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. transcribed one of the most beautiful letters ever written. In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” there is a passage that states, “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights…There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged in the abyss of despair. I hope sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.” (King Jr. pg. 3). This passage is of utmost importance because it clearly demonstrates that humans are resilient, innocence can easily be lost, and change is necessary. Despite the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” being written in 1963, the ideas Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about still apply to our world today.

The passage states, “…never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of ‘nobodiness’—then you will understand why we find it difficult waiting” (King Jr. pg. 3). When Martin Luther King Jr. uses the words “forever fighting”, it paints a clear picture of the endurance they possessed to keep going. These two words represent the human experience because even in today’s society people feel as they are “forever fighting” for a cause. They could be fighting for the American Dream, equal rights, equal pay, there is always a cause. Despite the obstacles that Martin Luther King Jr. faced and the obstacles that people in today’s society face, they will never give up, and even if takes ten years, twenty years, or over one hundred years, people will continue to fight for what they believe