Letter From Birmingham Jail Summary

Martin Luther King Jr. made a great impact in American history. He has changed the lives of millions of African American citizens. King had a humble beginning as a Baptist minister in Atlanta, Georgia. In the 1950’s, he then became an activist and a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Unfortunately, King was assassinated on the balcony of a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King lives on through his inspirational speeches, interviews, and letters that continue to inspire the public today. In Letter from Birmingham Jail, there are paragraphs that show the moves from “Think About It” which are seeking tension, justifying your position, and assessing your thinking.

In paragraph 4 of Letter from Birmingham Jail, King detects the tension between the clergymen and the white church’s leadership against the African American civil rights movement.
King examines the past in paragraph 13, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”(King, 3). He touches on the cruelty African American’s had to face in slavery. In order for slaves to gain freedom, they had to fight for it. This connects to that day where they demand freedom from segregation. In order to describe King’s new thinking he quotes a jurist, “justice too long delayed is justice denied.” This means if the court is working on a case but is taking their time with an action it is the same as not having a solution. King resolved the injustices against many African American citizens by standing for equal rights, despite bringing many challenges. He cleverly used moves from Think About It in his Letter from Birmingham Jail such as seeking tension, justifying a position, and assessing your thinking. Despite Dr.King’s death, he will always continue to inspire, motivate, and be an example to others for many years to