Martin Luther King, Just and Unjust Essay

After Being Dragged out of their homeland, brought to an unknown country, and forced to be slaves, African-Americans saw a road trip to equality through the eyes of Martin Luther King, Jr. Even after being emancipated from slaves to citizens, African-Americans were not ready to wage the battle against segregation alone. The weight which African Americans carried on their back, was lightened when they began to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. brought to the table against segregation. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the single most important African-American leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was responsible for dramatically improving the chance of equality for African-Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the key individual, which helped

Martin Luther King Jr. and John Robert Lewis were civil right leaders/civil rights activists around the ‘80’s, which is what everyone knows them as. However, some people didn’t know they both justified breaking the law. Martin Luther King Jr. was not only a powerful preacher, but as well an exceptional reader, as is proved in his 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail. Of Dr. King’s argument, the central point in his letter states that there is a law higher than mankind’s law. It also states that any human law which is at odds with this much higher law is unjust. Every human being is bound to obey as what Dr. King describes as the “higher law”, which is why our laws must be in harmony with this “higher law”. However for some reason, we as mankind

He deduces the fact that the white moderate does not seem to recognize the gravity of their non-action. King further declares that laws are established to promote justice and with their current amoral application, civil resistance to those segregated laws by blacks is justified and inevitable.

African American people have come a long way from the illiterate slaves, who were once picking cotton in fields, to powerful political leaders. A prime example would be President Barack Obama, the first African American president of the United States of America. But first we must ask ourselves, how did this occur? Who lead African Americans to better living standards? Civil rights leaders, such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, just to name a few. However, among these great names in history, there is one that stands out, and that man is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King gave hope to those in need with his awe inspiring sermons he performed at the church his grandfather founded. He changed foes to

African Americans have undergone unimaginable hardships in this land and were powerless to effect change in the system with their vote. I find this to be great injustice. Another example of injustice in this reading is King’s arrest. He writes, “I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance, which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and deny citizens their First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.” As King explains how a just law can become unjust through capricious or malicious application, I find myself confused by the situation. African American citizens are struggling for the equality America was founded on, and these people are being arrested for improper parading. After exhausting many other approaches, African Americans moved to peaceful protest and even that was stifled. I find myself asking where else were they to turn, how else could they effect change, and where is their justice? Would anyone have blamed Dr. King for being angry with his situation? I doubt it. King made a wise choice to remain optimistic, to address those who questioned his motives with reverence. In fact, he defines how he will respond to his critics in the opening paragraph of his letter: “I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” This statement demonstrates King’s commitment to

King states that “one has not only a legal but moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” (King). With this he is saying that the law of segregation is unjust and people have to fight to end it. He also says that “one who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty” (King). This is exactly what he did with his open, peaceful protests against segregation and he sat in jail in Birmingham accepting the consequences of what he did.

He then begins to state the opportunity that had risen to speak with the leaders of Birmingham, which leads to action and negotiation. Even though things were negotiated, as weeks and months went by Negros “realized that [they] were the victims of a broken promise” (King 2). He explains that laws have the ability to be just and unjust and that he will only follow and obey the just laws that agree with moral code and disobey laws that degrade human personality. Just because segregation is a law, doesn’t mean that it is just. The purpose of King making an argument against the Alabama clergymen is because he knows that in the Negros will win their freedom in the end simply because it’s their right and God’s

Martin Luther King Jr. was in jail because he took direct action to show all the unjust laws’ that were taking place. He showed civil disobedience by exercising rights that everyone had but, because him and his people were “black” they were treated differently under the same laws. For example, when he said “I have been arrested on a charge for parading without a permit… such ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest” (King, 4). By stating

In 1963, Martin Luther King was confined in Birmingham because of his participation in protesting. During this time, there was segregation which enjoined African Americans from utilizing particular areas or any type of accommodations in all. King wrote a letter in replication to the eight white clergymen that reprehended King 's actions. In the "Letter from Birmingham jail," King bulwarks the lawfulness of protesting, transgressing the law in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation and racism. The major premise of this argument is that all laws that devalue the human disposition are inequitable. The white clergymen who conveyed objection to King 's actions felt that his actions transgressed the law and caused chaos. King argues that the laws of the segregated south are inequitable and should not be accepted or followed. King breaks the difference between God 's laws and discriminatory man-made laws that oppress the Black race and how he is obligated to fight against those types of laws. The more diminutive premises here are that the laws of segregation devalue the ebony man/woman character.

was in jail, he wrote a letter explaining on why he had broken the law. He believed that standing up for an unjust law, was breaking no law at all, especially because of the lack of violence he had used, and how he used peace to communicate his points. King believed that his race had suffered enough and it was finally time for a change to arise.

Martin Luther King Jr., was a civil rights activist who spoke freely about civil disobedience in the Letter from Birmingham Jail while he was locked up for civilly disobeying the law. He was writing to eight white clergymen that also felt that many of the laws were unjust, however they showed agreement with Socrates by stating that he should not disobey the laws. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “one has a moral responsibility to disobey just laws because if we did not disobey them then unjust acts would continue to occur, causing our country to be harmed”. He also stated that “an unjust law is no law at all”. Martin Luther King Jr. did believe that laws were setup and enforced to assist and support the residents of the state however, if a law was unfair or unconstitutional, then the law would

Martin Luther King, Jr. disobeyed the law to try and end segregation for minority groups so they could be treated fairly and be equal to the non-minority group. Mr. King states,

Not only were many laws changed and created, but even more were broken in an attempt to better our once unjust society. Martin Luther King Jr., arguably the most influential leader of this movement, was an avid supporter of civil disobedience during this era. He participated in countless sit-ins and protests, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956, in which he and almost one hundred other activists were arrested for peacefully protesting discrimination in the Montgomery public transit system. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, written in 1963 after he was arrested for partaking in a nonviolent protest, King offers explanation as to why he practices civil disobedience and what he hopes to achieve in doing so. In this letter, King admits, “In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law…that would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty”. However, he also stated that in this fight, it is necessary to “[stand] up for what is best in the American…thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence”. In his words, civil disobedience is more than ignorance of law; it is just one of the necessary measures that must be taken to restore equality in a

The Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King The Civil Rights movement is still identified by people across the world with Dr Martin Luther King. His day of birth is remarked with a national holiday in the United States and there are many historic sites dedicated to MLK across the nation. His funeral in Atlanta on 9th April 1968 was attended by political leaders from around the world and later in 1977 King was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom which stated that MLK was “the conscience on his generation” who…”saw the power of love could bring down segregation”.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King discusses the importance of civil disobedience being performed. King is confined in the Birmingham city jail and decides to respond to the criticisms of his fellow clergymen although he often does not acknowledge such statements. King’s understanding of civil disobedience is clearly reflected in his use of rhetoric and includes violating the law in peaceful terms to protest unjust laws and circumstances.