A Review of Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Tiffany Graham
Professor Wisniewski
Freshman Composition
March 9,2011
A Review of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Written in 1963, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., is a direct response to his fellow clergymen about their criticism for his actions in Birmingham. Being from Atlanta, King was in Birmingham because he was invited their by his Southern Christian Leadership conference affiliate from Birmingham, to stage a non-violent protest. King says he was mainly there because injustice was there. He explains that he cannot sit by and in Atlanta and not be concerned about what was happening in Birmingham, because “injustice anywhere is the threat to justice everywhere.” (King,226,4) In Birmingham King had a non-violent protest. With his non-violent campaign, he follows four basic steps. Collection of facts to see if injustice exists, negotiation, self purification, and direct action. With collection of facts King saw that Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States, and also had a reputation to harm others. Birmingham was knows for bombing homes and unjust treatments in court. Negotiations were made, movements would be delayed by the Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights when Birmingham agreed to take racial signs down. Little or no sign were taken down and if they were only a short time pasted before the signs were up once more. King went through work-shops to ready himself to what may happen as a result of his non-violent protest as his step in self-purification. Once all this was done King had his direct action or his non-violent protest in Birmingham. King was then arrested on the grounds of parading without a permit. King says that this was an unjust action because it was used to uphold segregation. With this King says that his First Amendment rights to be able to have the privilege of peaceful assembly was taken away. An unjust law is something that a major group of people make others follow but
Professor Wisniewski
Freshman Composition
March 9,2011
A Review of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” Written in 1963, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., is a direct response to his fellow clergymen about their criticism for his actions in Birmingham. Being from Atlanta, King was in Birmingham because he was invited their by his Southern Christian Leadership conference affiliate from Birmingham, to stage a non-violent protest. King says he was mainly there because injustice was there. He explains that he cannot sit by and in Atlanta and not be concerned about what was happening in Birmingham, because “injustice anywhere is the threat to justice everywhere.” (King,226,4) In Birmingham King had a non-violent protest. With his non-violent campaign, he follows four basic steps. Collection of facts to see if injustice exists, negotiation, self purification, and direct action. With collection of facts King saw that Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States, and also had a reputation to harm others. Birmingham was knows for bombing homes and unjust treatments in court. Negotiations were made, movements would be delayed by the Alabama Christian Movement of Human Rights when Birmingham agreed to take racial signs down. Little or no sign were taken down and if they were only a short time pasted before the signs were up once more. King went through work-shops to ready himself to what may happen as a result of his non-violent protest as his step in self-purification. Once all this was done King had his direct action or his non-violent protest in Birmingham. King was then arrested on the grounds of parading without a permit. King says that this was an unjust action because it was used to uphold segregation. With this King says that his First Amendment rights to be able to have the privilege of peaceful assembly was taken away. An unjust law is something that a major group of people make others follow but