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Summary Of Martin Luther King Letter From Birmingham Jail

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Martin Luther King, the most well known civil rights activist and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 16, 1963. He was arrested for protesting without a license. Martin Luther King wrote a letter while in jail in response to the clergymen and the public stating that he will no longer sit and wait to be heard. While writing his letter, Martin Luther King uses rhetorical devices to develop his argument. Martin Luther King established credibility through his letter. He uses organizational ties, biblical duty, and interrelatedness of America. King uses his organizational ties by stating the organization he is in, which is the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the letter, King states, "I have the honor of serving as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference." King also uses biblical teachings. King talks about how he was a minister in the letter. He states an allusion in paragraph 3,"...as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town." What the king is meaning by this is he is wanting to spread peaceful protest around like Paul did the …show more content…

Martin Luther King uses two examples of primary sources in paragraph 15. The first primary source he uses is The Supreme Court's Decision of 1954. King states, "Since we so diligently urge people to obey The Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in public schools..." King uses ethos by using this credible source. Another credible source King uses in paragraph 15 is St. Augustine. King states, "I would agree with St. Augustine that an unjust law is no law at all." Here again King uses ethos by putting this credible source in the letter. These two sources matter very much because it makes his letter sound more proper and better having those credible sources in

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On April 16, 1963, Dr, Martin Luther King and many other protesters were protesting Jim Crow laws along with racial violence when it came to black people during the civil rights era in Alabama. This ended up causing King to end up in jail. While he was in jail, he wrote a letter to the clergymen in response to them saying his presents were "unwise and untimely. " In his letter, he uses rhetorical devices and appeals to justify his argument.

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On April 16th 1963, while in jail in Birmingham, Martin Luther King Jr. writes a letter to the clergymen responding to their criticism of his actions. The clergymen of Birmingham were criticizing Dr. King for leading peaceful protests against Jim Crow laws. Throughout the letter, Marin Luther King Jr. responds to a newspaper article, argues for change, justifies his action, and answers the statement that activities are "unwise and untimely". While writing his letter, Dr. King uses rhetorical devices and appeals to develop his argument that he is not an outsider, and that change is needed for things to become better.

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Take for example when the clergy in paragraph nine asked “why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better choice?” King then quoted Socrates in paragraph nine who said “It felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind,” King applied this to his cause by saying “I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.” This shows how King can look back at history and see the teachings of an effective person and apply it; a very efficient way to gain trust. This pattern happens continues throughout the letter.

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(Paragraph 4). This drew the clergymen’s attention to King’s beliefs and possibly made them realize the flaws in the system. King also states, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law…” (Paragraph 5).

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In the letter, Dr.King defends peaceful protests using ethos, diction, and pathos, which strengthens his case. He wants to win the clergymen's support in his struggle against racial injustice. He establishes credibility by utilizing ethos. ¨I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership conference¨(pg 272), he says, demonstrating his professionalism and dependability . In the Letter an example of diction is when he repeats the words ¨just¨ and ¨unjust.

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He makes it apparent that he has affiliate ties with many organizations in the south by saying that "I am here because I have organizational ties here" in paragraph 2. His organizational ties indicate a credible source. In addition, Martin Luther King also claims that it is his biblical duty to be in

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He makes a claim that he is not an outsider, therefore, he supports his claim by organizational ties, including "biblical duties", and interrelatedness of America. Dr. King informs the clergymen on how he is "serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference" and how he was invited there. He adds this to let them know that he has organizational ties there and that he is not an outsider. He goes on to talk about his "biblical duties". In paragraph 3, he talks about Apostle Paul leaving his village to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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In the letter, King establishes credibility by making a claim that he is not an outsider. The text states, "I am here because I have organizational ties here." But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here." He is there in Birmingham because of the racial injustices that are going on in Alabama. He also has organizational ties to the change he is fighting for

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In the first quote,”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.” He uses words “serving” and “ president.” The word “serving” is important because it shows how he is humble and it makes a connection to the clergymen. Clergymen serve in the Christian church and Dr. King is explaining to them that he too serves the church just in a different way. This is also a way for Dr. King to call them out for not helping their black brothers in Christ.

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King continues to utilize a respectful tone which, over time, creates a sense of inclusiveness among the clergymen. From the very beginning, King clearly expresses his respect, “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth.” (King 1). The fourth sentence of King’s address already states how he views the clergymen as good people who deserve his respect. Inside his letter, King keeps this same tone and eventually hopes when ending his letter, “That circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and Christian Brother” (King 49).

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“Letter from Jail” On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter to the eight clergymen while he was incarcerated. Dr. King wrote this letter to address one of the biggest issues in Birmingham, Alabama and other areas within the United States. The “Letter from Birmingham Jail” discussed the great injustices that were happening during that time towards the black community. Dr. King wanted everyone to have the same equal rights as the white community, he also went into further details about the struggles that African Americans were going through for so many years, which he felt like it could change. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, expressed his beliefs and his actions about the Human Rights Movement.

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In 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. was sent to jail because of a peaceful protest, protesting treatments of blacks in Birmingham. Before the protest a court ordered that protests couldn’t be held in Birmingham. While being held in Birmingham, King wrote what came to be known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Not even King himself could predict how much of an impact this letter would have on the Civil Rights Movement. In the letter kind defended Kings beliefs on Nonviolent Protests, King also counters the accusations of him breaking laws by categorizing segregation laws into just and unjust laws. King uses this principle to help persuade others to join him in his acts of civil disobedience.

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