Martin Luther King Jr Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

As a devoted man of god, King was a peaceable person, he wanted to end segregation and other acts of racism in a nonviolent way. His plan of action had four steps, injustice, negotiation, self -purification and direct action. For each step he

He first begins with justifying his being in jail like Socrates did as he was in jail for allegedly corrupting the young. As King is fighting for freedom in a respectable manner, he is also corrupting the laws that the Whites set-forth to segregate them. He brings up the argument that “Socrates felt it was necessary to create tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisals, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to ride from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood” (King 4). King does just that when he questions the morality of the laws that were put into place only to preserve the rights of Whites and not of the African Americans. As Socrates did, King tries to find a way that makes a law just and unjust.

It was a direct response to the “Alabama Clergymen’s Public Statement to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”, which condemned King’s use of public demonstrations. His purpose in writing the open letter was to address topics with which the undersigned clergymen of the public statement took issue. He also aimed to explain why said public demonstrations were necessary for bringing about tangible civil justice, as well as garnering more support for the cause. King’s intended audience was not only the clergymen who penned the public statement, but also Christians and the people of the United States as a whole. In his “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. successfully argues that peaceful protests and public demonstrations are necessary for bringing about civil justice.

King uses this to too compare himself with god which was also a so called “extremist” which might all too make the Clergymen rethink what they just did and questions themselves of who is the real extremist and if King is truly right. As a matter of fact, King also brings this piece of anology of the issue of what is legal and what is not legal here he states a piece of history that we should not forget “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did was ‘Legal’ and everything the Hungarian Freedom Fighters did in Hungary was illegal”. He includes this because the statement shows something in history that is happening how everything

The history of the United States of America has perceived many excessive and exceptional people, who have molded the current state of radical, commercial and communal disputes. Martin Luther King Jr. will be reminisced as one of the utmost lecturers and authors of the twentieth century, who has strappingly swayed the destiny and legacy of black Americans in our country. “Letter from Birmingham jail” is one of his most eminent works, where he responds to a public scolding made by a group of white ministers at his pro-black establishment’s non-violent protests intended to eradicate racial discrimination and prejudgment among black people in Birmingham. Martin Luther King Jr. discourses the American society as a whole as well as spiritual and

The Various Effects of Racism on African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King, the leader of the Civil Rights Movement, visits Birmingham in order to protest the unjust treatment of African Americans. However, while he is there, he is jailed for 8 days under the indictment of protesting without a permit. A group of clergymen inadvertently address him and his objective, criticizing the morals of the demonstrators. King replies in a lengthy letter, explaining why the time for African Americans rights is long overdue, and addresses multiple complaints of the clergymen. In paragraph 14 from Martin Luther King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King bombards his audience with depictions of gruesome violence, personal

In 1963, Martin Luther King was arrested and put in jail unjustly as he was invited to participate in a nonviolent protest. It took place in Birmingham, Alabama. While he was in jail, he wrote a letter dedicated to the clergymen. He was clever expressing his ideas of resentment against these untrustworthy ministers. These people did not keep their promises of defending his people equal rights nor make any type of action to provide mutual respect in their society.

This letter was sent by Martin Luther King Junior from Birmingham jail to a group of Alabama clergymen in order to petition for the removal of many racist segregation laws that plagued the black communities in the 1900s such as segregation in public areas such as water fountains, bus stations and luncheon counters. King was arrested because of the many non-violent protests and sit-ins that he coordinated. King's protests were viewed as being extremist which led to him being arrested multiple times. He was well aware of the risks he was taking, but King never gave up hope because he did not wish to see justice for blacks be delayed any longer. King makes multiple attempts to establish a common ground with the clergymen by making many religious

He then refers to his earlier statement about the apathy of the clergymen regarding the reason for the demonstrations, alluding to their anxiety over the protesters willingness to break the law. However, he brings up a dichotomy: the laxness and rigidity in which different laws are enforced. Namely, he sarcastically refers to the apprehensive enforcement of the 1954 Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation. Well, why are only some laws enforced? King answers this question by stating that there are two kinds of laws: just and unjust.

Martin Luther King, Jr. attempts to persuade clergymen to follow in his civil rights movement through exhibiting his knowledge over just and unjust laws, displaying peaceful behavior, and empathetic diction. King was very knowledgeable about laws and his right as a human. King stated laws in his letter to the clergymen, which displayed his credibility. He did not only state laws, he also stated just and unjust laws. King stated, “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”

King backs this up stating, “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." ” This statement shows that something being legal or illegal doesn’t make it right or wrong. This can be applied to present day, in the news recently Gay marriage has been a huge debate, and due to a Supreme Court Decision gay marriage is now legal. According to King’s definition of just and unjust laws Gay Marriage would be a unjust law because it isn’t morally right, or follow the law of God.

Throughout King’s argument, he appealed his own ethos to his opponents by saying “I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth”. Dr.

King follows the rest of the letter with more emotional cries, which included the split that had formed within the black community, on the argument of civil rights; Some had begun to settle for segregation, including some of the clergymen who had criticized King. Near the end, he opposes the clergymen's praise toward the Birmingham Police Department, by providing a vivid description of the attack on himself and his fellow protesters, leading up to his arrest. MLK closes his letter by stating his current situation, apologizing for the letter's length, and portraying a deep sense of pity, as he wishes for all to find faith for a better future. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham City Jail makes heavy use of ethos and logos to clarify issues and concerns from his criticizers, but relies even more on the emotional connection that it portrays on the reader.

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

A Letter From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr. is a name that will never be forgotten, and that will go down in the books for all of time. He was foremost a civil rights activist throughout the 1950s and 1960s. during his lifetime, which lasted from January of 1929 to April of 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and a social activist and was known for his non- violent protests. He believed that all people, no matter the color, have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take a direct action rather than waiting forever for justice to come through and finally be resolved. In the Spring of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stated in a speech that Birmingham was among one of the most segregated cities in the world.