Martin Luther King Jr. once declared, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that." Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." In the 1960’s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was fighting against injustice through protests in Birmingham, Alabama. His protesting then caused him to be thrown in jail, where he was sent a letter by 8 clergymen. The “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is the name of the letter that Dr. King sent in response to the clergymen’s letter. In his response, he uses a multitude of rhetorical appeals to depict the amount of injustice occurring inside Birmingham. These appeals include ethos, pathos, and logos. By using these, he's able to provide a better understanding of the lack of justice for African Americans. …show more content…
To prove his respectable character to the eight clergymen, Martin Luther King Jr. states, “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia” (King 581). By stating who he is and what he does, King was better able to paint a picture of his credibility for the clergymen. Martin Luther King provided the readers with his achievements so they know that he is an established person, and should be treated with the same respect that any white man would receive. Along with all of Dr. King's accomplishments, he also indicates his true intentions in his letter by writing, “Whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates” (King 581). King provides information about the accomplishments he shares with the men, and explains that he is already a respected individual, who should be granted the same respect as anyone else. Overall, the use of ethos helps King prove he should be respected just as any white man would be due to his accomplishments, making the readers feel more obligated to take his words into