Clergymen‚ While confined here in the Birmingham City Jail‚ I came across your recent statement calling our present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom‚ if ever‚ do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas … But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth‚ I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms. I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham‚ since you have been influenced by
Premium African American Nonviolence Racism
piece closely relates to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” considering that both works relay the authors underlying values of equality. King uses his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to promote the efficacy of integration and address the tensions present between races in the United States. After the courts failed to appease King by restricting his ability to hold protests in Birmingham‚ Alabama‚ he was sent to jail for conducting non-violent protests. While imprisoned‚ he
Premium African American Black people White people
“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was written in a time of civil unrest in the United States and served as a background to the fight against segregation suffered by African Americans. King used his letter to inform the world of the plight of African American’s and utilized natural law to clarify his position. In King’s letter he affirms his belief that he has not broken the law‚ he asserts that “an unjust law is no law at all”. What I believe that King is saying is that a law that is unjust does not
Premium Martin Luther King African American Letter from Birmingham Jail
which violated the first amendment. While in jail‚ a statement was published by eight white members of the clergy who criticized King’s actions as “unwise and untimely” and that the battle for segregation was supposed to be fought in the courts but never in the streets. In response to their statement‚ King wrote a multipage letter‚ “Letter from a Birmingham Jail‚” directed towards those men and America. King wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” because he stood for what he believed in
Premium Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil disobedience Nonviolence
Luther King wrote "A letter from Birmingham jail" in response to a published statement by eight fellow ministers from Alabama who violently critiqued King for association and involvement in the protest march against discrimination in Birmingham. King’s letter was an effort to defend himself from allegations and to criticize white moderates and church. Starting in the first lines of the letter‚ Martin Luther King tries to discard the denunciation of being an outsider in Birmingham. He states that he
Premium United States Martin Luther King, Jr. African American
It can be difficult to give a definition for the word ‘good’ especially in the context of an individual’s behavior. Through the analysis of three readings entitled “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato‚ “Civil Disobedience” by Thoreau‚ and “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” by King‚ the reader can conclude that the main idea of the nature of good revolves around personal morals and open-mindedness rather than civil law or majority rule in the face of justice. In “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato‚ the nature
Premium Truth Thought Mind
of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12‚ 1963‚ in Birmingham‚ for protesting without a permit. The same day that King was arrested‚ a letter was written and signed by eight clergymen from Birmingham and titled “A Call for Unity”. The letter called for ending demonstrations and civil activities and indicated King as an “outsider”. On April 16‚ 1963‚ King responded to their letter with his own call‚ which has come to be known as his “Letter from Birmingham
Premium Letter from Birmingham Jail African American United States
In Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail‚” he shows that nonviolence is the way to get the positive attention that his plight deserved. He believed that to use violence was negative on a couple of points. First‚ violence always gets negative attention. Second‚ violence was the way the Klu Klux Klan went about their business. He wanted to expose unjust laws and do it in a fashion that conveyed his beliefs without causing other problems. In Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail‚” he is trying
Premium Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil disobedience Nonviolence
Civil Disobedience McKenzie Peterson “Civil Disobedience” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” both want to share their thoughts and what they want to see the United States to change. They express their thought in different ways but they both get their word out the same way. They both want to fight for what they believe is right and their hope is others will fight with them. "Daddy‚ why do white people treat colored people so mean?" Martin Luther King Jr.’s son asked his father this because as
Premium Civil disobedience Law Henry David Thoreau
specific way‚ the clergymans’ letter is trying to reach black people and Luther’s letter is trying to reach white people. Both letters want peace between races‚ but the argument is over time. The clergymans’ letter’s purpose is to get black activists like M.L.K to stop uniting as a race and protesting civil rights. They keep the letter professional because they want to easily get their way‚ so it is written in a demanding manner. Luther’s letter directly makes his letter to the clergymen‚ but it speaks
Premium African American Black people Race