Letter From A Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.

“Each day brings a new adventure” is a saying that holds true in any individual’s life. With each day, individuals should seek for new adventures to have a broader perspective of life. With diverse outlooks, a person does not only develop and find their true self, but can also reflect betterment of their society. The amount an individual is influenced by society can limit the person’s capability to play a more important role in life. Society tends to hold individuals to certain norms and perspectives; so, an individual must embrace diversity around them to not only find oneself, but to also offer more to society. Evidence of this type of relationship between society and an individual is apparent in the speech “The Danger of a Single Story”, given by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. Both pieces explore the ideas of how one might find a sense of individuality and community, and the conflicts and balance that comes with them

Martin Luther King Jr. claimed that everything the blacks were going through affected the whites. When he was in Birmingham jail, it was because he was the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the affiliates urged him to engage in a nonviolent act. He claims to have went down there because of the injustice in the area. King states in his letter that, “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”White individuals can no longer say what is happening to the blacks isn't affecting them, because it is. Their whole life revolves around the African Americans, even if they don't believe it. For example, there are segregated churches, water fountains, schools, public transportation, beaches, name it and it is most likely segregated. For example, imagine that someone white goes to church every Sunday, and one day a black woman is trying to go to church, and they won't allow her to go into the building. Even spiritual being who swear by the bible are neglecting what the bible is about, and that is that everyone is equal and beautiful in God’s eyes. The poor black women, though, she can not even get

While sitting in a jail cell, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. uses this time of reflection to write a letter to the 7 white church leaders in the south in rebuttal to their recent criticisms of the Civil Rights Movement. The letter comes after the recent protest in Birmingham, and the criticisms of his work form the Southern leaders. King crafts his argument in a cause and effect style to illustrate the direct problems or criticisms, and refutes these claims with substantial support in favor of his movement. He builds his persuasive argument through ethos and logos, to present the validity of the cause, and then he calls for reflection from the church leaders. While his tone does not stroke any of the leader’s ego, he appeals to their

“Letter from Birmingham Jail’ was written by Martin Luther King Jr. on April 16th, 1963. He wrote the letter from his cell in Birmingham jail in Alabama as a response to criticism posed by eight white clergymen describing his activities in Birmingham which led to his own imprisonment as an “unwise and untimely”.

“Letter from Birmingham” was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s response to his fellow clergyman who wrote an article “A Call for Unity” in the newspaper that questioned his methods of protest. In King’s response, he was precise as to why the opinions of the clergyman were incorrect and not logical. Throughout the letter, there are rhetorical devices used that enhanced King’s argument. He uses ethos to reach the audience from his own personal experience, pathos to have an emotional connection, and logos for logic or evidence from credible sources.

The nation we live in cannot pretend to be perfect nor will it ever be; wars, both violent and silent, are fought to form the laws, places, and people we know. The solutions that are forever written down in history books are composed of a great deal of persuasion. With segregation, those who desire equal rights choose this method to attempt a revolution. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. eventually becomes one of the most well-known activists for the desegregation of the South. King uses logos in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” along with an honest, influential, and knowledgeable tone to clarify the reasons behind his actions that put him in jail in Birmingham.

In “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” , Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the concerns of eight white religious leaders of the South who wrote an open statement criticizing Dr. King’s course of actions during the civil rights movement. Dr. King states that he is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The SCLC’s affiliate group in Birmingham invited Dr. King to engage in a nonviolent, direct program. Dr. King conveyed that there is injustice in Birmingham and refuses to sit on the sidelines. Before the SCLC decided on an action plan, negotiations occurred with merchants who promised to remove demeaning racial signs from stores. After months of waiting for change, the signs were never removed. This set in motion the plan for direct action. The protesters “self-purified” for months for the upcoming nonviolent battle

Martin Luther King Jr. was an incredibly key player in the push for equality between the then great divide of injustice between the whites and the blacks. Eight clergymen, including C. C. J. Carpenter and Rabbi Milton L. Grafman, published a letter directed at Martin Luther King Jr. to stop non-violent protests and instead bring cases to the judicial system. In response, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a response letter, known in history as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Through the usage of writing strategies such as alliteration, this letter highlights that the issue of unfair discrimination against Negroes was an issue that plagued the country and its cities such as Birmingham, and actions need to be taken to resolve this issue.

A city of entertainment, opportunity, and historic importance, it’s no wonder Birmingham, Alabama is so widely known and loved. Only fifty-four short years ago, however, this metropolitan city would not even be recognizable to its modern-day counterpart. Filled with racial injustice and social unrest Birmingham, Alabama was a place of violence and even death. Protests designed to call attention to unjust treatment of African American citizens were not tolerated and even met with inhumane punishments. Martin Luther King Jr., a Georgia native, recognized the need for equality in Birmingham and made it his personal mission to bring about that equality. Recognized at a young age for his incredible public speaking skills and advanced intellect, King was qualified for the difficult task he had undertaken. Throughout his career as a civil servant King wrote and delivered over nineteen speeches, countless sermons, and even a few books. One of his most widely known writings is the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” in which King addresses multiple accusations against himself and declares with clarity the reasoning for what his critics called “extreme” (King, 6) actions. This letter, read by Americans across the nation, is now considered by many to be one of the most important written documents of the civil rights movement. Dr. King’s persuasive writing style tugs the heartstrings of the reader, creating a profound impression that is anything but forgettable. It is my belief

Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently penned a deep, heartfelt message in the Letter from Birmingham Jail, with the sole exception of his argument regarding just and unjust laws. I agree that not enough was being done, not nearly fast enough, and that people should have been more active in changing what was socially acceptable. The way to cause change is hotly debated, and in truth, there are many avenues which work. Obviously, some paths are much better than others. Defining laws as unjust and just, is a path which is unbelievably slippery and should not be taken unless there is quite literally no other option. In the United States of America, we have a court system which can make meaningful change (such as desegregation efforts). Courts and changing the law is a slow process, which requires enforcement; yet, it is a legal one. While looking back in history, the laws fought against do seem unjust, since they have been overturned in modern times; however, at the time they were laws. Citizens individuals, or a leader of an organization making a determination of what is legal and what is not allows for abuse in the future and threatens the very nature of society. While Martin Luther King Jr. did not abuse his power of defining unjust and just laws, there is a huge possibility of others who are not are good hearted. Society, which on large scales tends to follow Thomas Hobbes ideology (social contract), requires giving up some powers and rights to the government in return for

The 20th century was a time of radically changing ideas and how people saw the world. The century saw a rise of radical feminism and a fight for the desegregation of the races in the United States following the two World Wars, in which women and African Americans were given much more opportunities than they were previously afforded. This made the Civil Rights Movement in the 50s and 60s inevitable. Martin Luther King Jr. explores some of the changing ideas of the period in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” published in 1963. In this letter, that King wrote while in actually in jail in Birmingham, King attempts to redefine justice, specifically he discusses the difference between a just law and an unjust law. Furthermore, King addresses the white moderate in order to redefine extremism, particularly in contrast with what he views as “complacency” that the moderates advocate for. Overall, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” attempts to show the changing ideas reflected by the Civil Rights Movement, as well as to change the audiences view of their knowledge of justice.

King uses ethos, pathos, and logos in an attempt to convince the clergymen of the mistreatment of African Americans. I agree with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he claims the Jim Crow Laws are unjust. I also believe this letter made the Atlanta clergymen rethink their beliefs and values. He uses ethos to explain why he interfered by protesting and alludes to biblical heroes to become more sound in his argument. Dr. King shows the logistics of his peaceful protests by explaining how tension grows into negotiation. Finally, he shows the emotion of the African American race and uses it to prove how unfair the Jim Crow Laws are. I believe the way Dr. King expresses his passion against the Jim Crow Laws makes pathos the most efficient method when persuading the Atlanta clergymen from their

“. . . I am in Birmingham because injustice is here” (1). Imagine being a black male, in a southern state, in the 1960’s. Just let that sink in. Martin Luther King Jr. was not supposed to be speaking out. Blacks were supposed to keep their mouths shut, stay under the radar, and just accept the hate they received. Being black in the south was not easy, and Martin Luther King Jr. is explaining why he is there and for what purpose. Black’s should not be treated so poorly in any part of the world and King does an amazing job of sticking up for his race and what he believes in. It is now too late to change America’s racist history; however, if Americans listen to what Martin Luther King Jr. had to say we can defend America against racism. In King's “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he is trying to reach the white Christians who are attempting to stop him from speaking out.

Taking you back to the 1960’s when the country was cut in half. After being jailed for parading without a permit, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” King’s purpose for writing was to establish his presence, and justify his need to protest. He adopts a didactic tone in order to present the unjust authority of laws. He conveys that In a time period dated back to the 1740’s, Jonathan Edwards writes “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” to address Puritans on July 8, 1741. Edward’s purpose in doing so is to persuade the Puritans into joining the covenant group. He adopts an extremist tone in order to terrify his audience. In order to analyze the piece that was most effective, we must first define effective. Effective means to be the most persuasive, with logical information that accredits this.

After reading “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, I was in awe by Martin Luther King Jr.’s rhetorical skills writing with immense emotion and redefining terms used to criticize him, more specifically extremism. Additionally, the southern clergy challenged Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to lead by questioning whether MLK was teetering along the line of being an extremist; this is due to the fact that the majority Caucasian southern clergy believed racial injustice would be solved without direct action. However, King responded in great detail to the southern clergy expressing his viewpoint on extremism and the best way to solve injustice. When addressing the case of extremism, King stated that he views the subject as people being an extremist for hate or love, injustice or justice. Then he expressed his view on social change with respect to time, stating there is an “irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills.” Altogether, Martin Luther King Jr. effectively communicates to the southern clergy (the followers/collaborators) his point of view on the misconceptions of how to deal with social change and utilizes the “Social Change Model”.