This year, violence towards and by people of color has become a repeating headline, and this sensitive topic has divided many people in a time where we need unity. We must look to past civil rights activists for guidance such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Height, and Bayard Rustin who promoted rights for African-Americans while attempting to unify a nation. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail exemplifies this ideal. In paragraphs twelve to fourteen, Martin Luther King, Jr. refutes clergymen's claim of his actions towards desegregation being untimely with diction and selection of detail that illustrates the urgency and necessity of his actions on the progress of civil rights along with syntax that promotes unity. Martin Luther King’s polite yet assured word choice highlights the magnitude of the piece while maintaining his ethos. In the twelfth paragraph, MLK addresses that the new administration must be “prodded” in order to have desegregation, giving …show more content…
In the fourteenth paragraph, MLK starts the lengthy third sentence with a situation that most are unfortunately familiar with: lynching. Later, an example about a daughter is presented which is less known. The specification of the “six-year-old daughter” strikes a chord with any parent who has or is raising a child. This interaction is not publically seen or addressed, giving it a more personal feel. Also, this illustrates the beginning of the racial tensions and the depth that racism reaches. MLK also addresses being called n***** in that something so personal such as your name is thrown away as well as the humanity of the person. Such an example is too specific to feel desensitized to, forcing his audience to notice to their grievances. In this sentence, MLK funnels the details from something visible to all to a family member to someone’s very name in order to exemplify the reaches racism has on