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Summary Of Letter From Birmingham Jail

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In Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, written in 1963 which was a crucial time in the fight for African American rights and equality. Dr. King is writing his letter on a newspaper from jail and doesn’t even have a proper utensils because he is in solitary confinement because of the protesting he was doing in Birmingham. In his letter Dr. King is responding to The Call for Unity written by eight Alabama clergymen. King’s audience was not only the clergyman but the residents of Birmingham since the letter was published in the newspaper for all to view and read. King wanted to respond to them to express his feelings, attitudes and reasons for the work that he has been doing in Birmingham especially the numerous protests that …show more content…

immediately addresses his credibility and directly responds to one of the main points that the clergymen state about outsiders. King states “ I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against “outsiders coming in(444)” King goes on to describes how he is a member of several different organizations that are fighting for equal Civil Rights most importantly how he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and he states how “ I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.(444)” King also demonstrates his credibility to the Clergyman as a minister and a brother of the church by quoting the Paul from the gospels and also early Christians who would rather be eaten by the lions than obey unjust laws(447). Martin Luther King Jr references Paul when he states “So I am Compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to Macedonian call for aid”(444). In addition to establishing that he is a religious man he also show that he is a literate, knowledgeable and wise man when he quotes Socrates, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson who were all seen as radical leaders of their time periods but are now heroic leaders of change. One of the main focuses of his argument is Justice and direct action which is an idea that King supports throughout his argument by showing that he has immense knowledge of court cases and historical situations which agains adds to his

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In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King professes his disappointment with the white moderates for calling him an extremist for his schemes. At first, in paragraph 27, King does not deny the fact-by using anaphora- that there are some Negros who “advocate violence”, but he also asserts that there are even more for “nonviolent protest”(King 28). In making this comment, King urges for people to look at his acts of nonviolent protesting . Indeed the insignificant amount of violence will be more looked upon than the nonviolence; however, there are numerous acts nonvilence that should surpass this. Additionally, in paragraph 31, King states how at first he despised the label but then “gained [...] satisfaction” from it.

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Picture this. On Good Friday, April 12, 1963, protester against inequality, Martin Luther King Jr., was arrested for parading without a permit. It is now April 16, 1963 and he sits alone in a Birmingham City Jail cell with nothing but a pen, some paper, and a solemn look on his face. In scraggly, but intent words, he writes a letter. He was writing to the church clergymen, determined to make them change their ways.

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In “Letter to Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. states that, “We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’” His statement expresses his view that the term “wait” is much thought of as “never” to many Negroes, for if change does not happen immediately, the change will never be made. King’s main rhetorical strategy is taking his periodic sentence in paragraph fourteen and attempting to grab at the reader’s emotions, placing them into his and many other Negroes’ harsh daily situations. He goes on to state that, “It is easy for those who have never the stinging darts of segregation to say ‘wait’.” King’s meaning behind this statement reveals a fact of whites being unfamiliar

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Why African Americans can no longer “wait” “Letter from Birmingham Jail” written by Dr. Martin L. King, Jr is a response to the eight white clergymen who wrote him a letter criticizing him, his movement, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dr. King first addresses why he came to Birmingham. Though King does not usually respond to criticism, he responds to the men because he believes they are “of genuine good will.” Martin Luther King, Jr. had been arrested and imprisoned in Birmingham in 1963 regarding his protest activities. Birmingham at the time was a segregated city, known for the mistreatment of African Americans.

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Martin Luther King wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" not only to reply to criticism from clergymen, but to expose the racism in this city and promote his mission. King starts off his letter by writing about how he does not usually reply to all the criticism he receives, but he feels that this topic is too important to let pass by (King 331). King appeals to all aspects of citizens. By mentioning that he is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King ethically appeals to his audience by strengthening his character with experience and leadership skills (King 332). Another way King ethically appeals to his audience is by writing about the many occasions that African Americans have been treated unfairly.

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MLK used civil disobedience to oppose unjust laws and promote inequality and fairness. He thought individuals had a moral obligation to oppose unjust laws through peaceful protest and non-violent resistance. King emphasized the importance of civil disobedience, drawing inspiration from historical figures such as Socrates and early Christians. King is utilizing allusions to underline the importance of the civil rights movement. MLK states “Thus saith the Lord Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world”.

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In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King expresses his opinions and thoughts in response to a letter written by eight clergymen. As a justification of his actions for his recent activities, King was put under scrutiny that his actions were “unwise and untimely”. The main concept King was supporting was that, “Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

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“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written by Martin Luther King in 1963. He claims that real civil disobedience doesn’t mean succumbing to the forces of evil, but encouraging people to use the power of love to confront evil. He believes in the power of conscience which is implicit in everyone’s mind. He wants to awaken the conscience of more people, and he wants to use moral force to expose the unjust law. He also indicates that law-abiding protests and moralizing can not simply abolish apartheid.

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No more waiting around to get equal rights, Martin Luther King Jr knew exactly that. He was tired of waiting. When King stopped waiting he was sentenced to Birmingham jail. Instead of waiting to get out of jail he wrote a letter, King wrote, ‘’ Letter In Birmingham Jail.

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Continuing with the rebuttal the clergymen questions King with that King then refutes. Nonetheless King provides no qualifier because he has such a strong stance on defeating racial injustice. As “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is thoroughly analyzed the claim can be concluded to be that racism does not only affect one person but it also affects the entire race,

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Sitting in a jail cell in the city of Birmingham, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter to several clergymen in regards to their criticism of his and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)’s protests. Despite the fact that he never responded to any sort of criticism, he decided to respond as he felt angered by said criticism, but chose to convey it patiently and reasonably. Immediately in response to the comment that “outsiders are coming in,” Dr. King defends his right to be at that location as the SCLC was operated all throughout the South as well as the fact that they were invited by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights to perform a “nonviolent direct-action program” if necessary. He felt that they came to battle “injustice”, judging the clergymen who failed to seek out the racism that have caused said “injustice.” Dr. King goes on to show that he completely understands the clergymen’s want of negotiation instead of protest, however he notes that this cannot happen due to the “crisis” and “tension” that occurs which leads to those unwilling to do so.

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Respected Martin Luther King Jr, After reading your “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, which us a deeper look into the reality of the racial equality that existed in the 1960’s. I see that you wrote this letter to your fellow clergymen since you too are a church man, and aimed it towards addressing their concerns regarding the timing of the nonviolent actions in Birmingham, Alabama that you along with other leaders orchestrated and carried out in 1963. My first reaction to this reading was a sense of insecurity acknowledging the fact that people in the 1960’s were what you, Mr. King, described as the “oppressor race” (par 31). But after giving myself time to analyze my reaction and to take into to consideration the time era, I‘ve come to accept

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Dr King wrote a direct response to the eight clergymen from Alabama in a confinement cell in Birmingham, Alabama which is now known as “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” It addresses the wrong-doings and injustices going on in Birmingham. King was arrested for being part of a peaceful protest against segregation that had not been approved to be marched in that area. King argues that publicly showing that people including him are against segregation is better than just negotiating and having the “Negro community” patiently wait around for society to move toward civil rights and that demanding social justice provokes individuals and groups to act out, regardless of how peaceful the method may be. Dr King explains why it is okay for him to be a part

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The black people of Birmingham were demonstrating and retaliating during that time because of the injustices that were taking place. He commented “I am here because I have organizational ties here, but more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” and he could not sit idly by and do nothing. In the first 4 paragraphs of King’s letter he describes, in detail, his background as a President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and his timing for being in Birmingham. He explains how he is called to carry the gospel of freedom beyond his home town just as prophets before him and as the Apostle Paul were called to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the

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Martin Luther King Jr. was a strong leader in the Civil Rights movement, the son and grandson of a minister, and one heck of a letter writer. As he sits in a cell of Birmingham Jail in 1963, he responds to criticism from eight white clergymen. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. In his tear-jerking, mind-opening letter, King manages to completely discredit every claim made by the clergymen while keeping a polite and formal tone. Metaphors, allusions, and rhetorical questions are used in the most skillful way to support his argument and ultimately convince his audience of the credibility behind his emotional, yet factual, claims.

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