Graduation Speech: Greetings Mayor Albert Boutwell

Greetings Mayor Albert Boutwell,

As you may know, today marks the exact two-month anniversary of your election as Birmingham's mayor, and I congratulate you for defeating Mr. Bull Connor. However, while I do respect your authority, I must note that you have not done a lot to help the current state of affairs concerning African-American civil rights, and I am calling and counting on you to accomplish more. I do know that this situation is what the majority of people want, so technically, racial segregation is the most beneficial and advantageous condition. This hatred towards African-Americans is what the majority of Birmingham citizens wish to exist, so I understand that to some extent, I must go on with it. In 1951, many racial ordinances
My two sons were among the innocent children who were forcefully and violently arrested. Some say that they were not allowed to protest because they had no proper permit, but the first amendment of the Constitution states that the Government “shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of people to peaceably assemble”. These arrests and claims are violating this law and they are not fair or just. On another note, these protesters are here only because this system and climate that the racist people of Birmingham have set up restrict our basic human rights. While in jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote back to the clergymen who were telling him to hold off the protests. King blocked their requests and basically told them that the government is at fault, not him. He stated that “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here”. He explains to them that these protests are not the fault of the protesters, but of the people who put the protested rules into place. And as Mayor, you have done nothing to prevent these unjust laws that do not belong in today’s government system from impeding on our basic human