Racial Equality In 'Letter From Birmingham Jail'

I recently read a newspaper article that was focused on different writers’ stance on racial equality. The article took three pieces of work, all from different authors, and asked the reader to take a stance on whether they believe the authors personal experiences solidify or nullify their cases with civil rights. Authors; Martin Luther King, Brent Staples, and Gloria Naylor all use personal experience in their writing. After thoroughly reading the three articles found in your newspaper, the writers’ dependence on their personal experience does indeed solidify their work especially dealing with racial equality. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr.King writes about his time in the Birmingham Jail and responds the eight clergymen and defends peaceful protesting. During his time in the Birmingham jail, he
experiences first hand racial discrimination which he is trying to overcome. This gives him an advantage and helps strengthen his stance. “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor” (King 809) . Since he fought for the freedom of himself and others, it gives him credibility. Same goes for Gloria Naylor and her essay “ Mommy what does a Nigger mean.” Naylor describes her personal experiences with being called a “nigger” and how it affected her.
“I handed the papers to a little boy in back of me, I remarked that once again he had received a much lower mark than I did. He snatched his test from me and spit out that word” (473). The previous sentence is a personal quote from the essay, that is one of the many incidents where Naylor was called out of name. The fact that happened to her shows why she is passionate about the topic. That is not something everyone can say they have experienced. Lastly, In “Black Men and Public Space,” Brent Staples shares his point of view of being an African-American male everyday in Brooklyn. Staples speaks on many experiences where people viewed him as dangerous due to the color of his skin. He opens my eyes to the way people may act around black men as opposed to other races. "And I soon gathered that being perceived as dangerous is a hazard in itself" (299). Staples shows that it's not only unfair but also dangerous to the people. But a limitation is not all races perceive black people like
that. The importance of this topic is that it gives writers credibility because they experienced it first hand. Although there may be limitations, the authors' dependence opens up another viewpoint for people who haven't experienced it. Although I am an African-American male these three authors opened up my eyes. I am starting to look at society differently after reading their essays. This is why the writer's’ personal experience strengthens their cases.