Dr King Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King’s adherence towards peace and especially social justice is clearly shown in “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In this letter King writes with passion and conviction. Through this suggestive yet powerful letter Martin Luther King uses various rhetorical devices to get his point across by saying “justice too long delayed, is justice denied.” Through the clergymen’s arguments and use of ethos, pathos, and logos, he demonstrates to them that they need to take action immediately.

Dr. King begins by giving a recount of the events that brought him to Birmingham and the injustice that lead to their demonstrations. He then addresses common critiques of their campaign, answering them through logical arguments, as well as empathic appeals. The latter half of the piece deviates in that it aims not to justify their actions, but to shame everyone who doesn’t support their cause. Rather ironically, yet strategically, he expresses disappointment in “the white moderate” (pg.3), who he describes as: “more devoted to order than to justice” (pg.3). In addition to “the white moderate”, he calls out the clergymen, and “the white church”, for ignoring and even at times opposing their cause. Finally to conclude his letter, he prophecies the inevitable end of segregation “One

In this essay, I will be writing my perspectives and my interpretations of Dr. King's writing, “Letter From A Birmingham Jail”.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was imprisoned in Birmingham jail because of his contribution and participation in nonviolent demonstrations opposing the segregation championed by the southern leaders. The essay explores his longhand letter in response to civic statement of alarm and threats from the letter written by white religious leaders.

In 1963 from Birmingham jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested for being a partaker in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation. While imprisoned, Dr. King wrote a letter in response to a public statement issued by eight Alabama clergymen addressing King's diplomatic acts. In the letter King defends his theory of civil disobedience and peaceful demonstration. He attempts to play the humanity card. He believes that the clergymen and other whites would be able to sympathize with African Americans if he painted a picture of how unjustly they were being treated for no reason. For example, in the public statement, the clergymen urged their Negro community to “withdraw” their support from Martin Luther King’s demonstrations and let the

The use of just laws was first abided by Dr. King in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, he mentions the necessity of just laws in society and how individuals are morally obliged to follow them. He also makes a clear distinction between “just” and “unjust” laws, further advocating his beliefs. Dr. King defines the two different laws in his interpretation of what they actually mean in society. A just law is a human-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. In other words, a law that can uplift the personality of an individual is a law that is just. Also, citizens also have their moral responsibility in a constitutional democratic society to obey and abide by the laws of the country. In comparison to just

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very passionate and articulate man. In his I Have a Dream speech, and in his Letter From Birmingham Jail, he addressed his audience with great emotion and purpose. He was very effective in using those two appeals. His messages were powerful because of the two appeals in I Have a Dream, the two appeals in Letter From Birmingham Jail, and their similarities and differences.

During the Civil Rights Movement in the mid 1960’s one of the most well- known civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and was placed into a jail in Birmingham Alabama for eleven days (Westbrook 1). Martin Luther King did not commit a crime that was in violation of any law in the U.S Constitution. King was arrested for taking a direct action for the Black community that was harassed and judged every day for there color of their skin. In King’s Letter From Birmingham Jail on the 16th of April 1963 he illuminates the daily brutality on the streets of Alabama, and focuses his argument on the church and christians for ignoring their moral obligation to their community. Christians and followers of God worship the Holy Bible

In the “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King demonstrates his mastery of the written word as he describes the plight of the civil rights movement and his actions to dismantle segregation. The letter was his persoanl response to his fellow clergymen’s criticisms regarding the current civil disobedience. White clergymen, strongly opposed to Dr. Kings position on nonviolent passive resistance. They issued a statement urging African Americans not to support the demonstrations. Dr. King’s letter is an extremely powerful and a persuasive piece of historic literature. The letter details lessons in intelligent, communitive writing that results in powerful written communication. Dr. King states his perspectives without apology and builds his case for his fellow clergymen to encompass his passion and enable them to see his roots of his perspective and philosophies. A great example of persuasive writing.

If one hears the name, Martin Luther King Jr., they often associate this well-known man to his well-known “I Had A Dream” speech. Martin Luther King Jr. was the leader of the African-American civil rights movement. While to many he is most known as just a ‘dreamer’, in Gospel of Freedom, Jonathan Rieder enlightens all on how Martin Luther King Jr. was much more than his “I Had A Dream” speech. It is a surprising thing that nowadays, when being taught throughout primary and secondary school, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter” from Birmingham jail was hardly talked about in historical contexts, or at the very least mentioned. Was it deemed not as important to show all sides of this famous activist? Martin Luther King Jr. has always been seen as this peaceful yet passionate leader fighting for justice. His “Letter” that he drafted shows a more furious, but still passionate side to him. A side that this “Letter” also helped show how the civil rights movement really worked.

Civil disobedience has been used all throughout history in all corners of the globe, even though there are many who oppose this act and view it as violating the law. Anti-civil disobedience believers think that “there can be no law to which obedience is optional…” (Liebman). This point of view can be respected, because we as a society would like to believe that the people who abide by the law are the most moral and just citizens in our community. Unfortunately when we look back at history, we can see that this is not the case. For example, during the Albigensian Crusades, Christians were told to turn in their fellow Christians as heretics to burn, so that they could “save” all of Christendom. This was the law that Pope Innocent lll put in place

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and put in jail for protesting the treatment of blacks in Alabama. While confined in the Birmingham City Jail, Dr. King came across an ad in the newspaper that condemned his activities. He felt the need to answer to the criticism, and wrote a letter of response. His main point was that the blacks were suffering severely in Birmingham and the court system was not an effective means for change. He did not take the decision to protest lightly, and was willing to stand up for his beliefs and the rights of his fellow-man, regardless of color.

Martin Luther King Jr., a peaceful advocate for civil rights, was jailed for his non-violent protest against segregation. During his stay at the Birmingham Jail, a group of religious leaders publically attacked him with criticisms for his peaceful protest. As a counter attack, King wrote 'The Letter From Birmingham Jail'. This counter was successful for King was able to analyze and address his audience, refer to historical and religious figures and utilize anaphoras, making this letter, one of the most impressive argumentative essays.

The 20th century was a time of radically changing ideas and how people saw the world. The century saw a rise of radical feminism and a fight for the desegregation of the races in the United States following the two World Wars, in which women and African Americans were given much more opportunities than they were previously afforded. This made the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s inevitable. Martin Luther King Jr. explores some of the changing ideas of the period in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” published in 1963. In this letter, that King wrote while in actually in jail in Birmingham, King attempts to redefine justice, specifically he discusses the difference between a just law and an unjust law. Furthermore, King addresses the white moderate in order to redefine extremism, particularly in contrast with what he views as “complacency” that the moderates advocate for. Overall, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” attempts to show the changing ideas reflected by the Civil Rights Movement, as well as to change the audiences view of their knowledge of justice.

During the Civil Rights movement, Birmingham, Alabama was a place of great controversy for the many African Americans fighting for the rights. After the election of Albert Boutwell for mayor in 1963 (“Alabama Lieutenant Governors”), a campaign for African American rights, led by Martin Luther King Jr, took place within the city. Near the beginning of the campaign, King was arrested and placed in jail with other members. From inside his jail cell, King wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in which he responds to many criticisms of his campaign, many of which came from clergy men from across the country. Within the letter, King addresses the concern of just and unjust laws, and why one should be followed and one shouldn’t (King). The mode of thinking of laws as unjust and just laws pose a moral question for those who it affects, and those who are placing the laws into effect; these moral questions have become important within the current Political climate and how to determine between an unjust law and a just law. In this response, I will explain how King differentiates the two and I will respond to the writing and how it affects us today.