Birmingham Jail Summary Paper Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is an important figure during the civil rights movement. He is an influential speaker and leader throughout the south. When he travels to Birmingham to march with his people, he is arrested. He is placed in Birmingham Jail along with other peaceful protestors. While in jail he writes a letter addressing some concerns of those who lived in Birmingham. Throughout the letter Dr. King try’s to prove that his actions were justified and within a realm of peaceful protest. In the letter he states “I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation” (King pp 802-803). This is a valid point because if one is not faced with the problem they will not view it as a priority or a matter of much concern. …show more content…
King replies to a comment made by the clergymen calling him an extremist. He even will take the idea of being an extremist and turn it into a positive for the campaign saying that he was originally “disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as [he] continued to think about the matter [he] gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you’” (King p 808). He uses his knowledge of religious passages to show that being an extremist is not always a bad thing. King proves that some of the most influential people used extreme