Mr King Oedipus The King Summary

In A Call for Unity, the eight clergyman from Birmingham published an article in the local newspapers urging blacks to withdraw support from Martin Luther King Jr. and his demonstrations. Instead of supporting MLK they believe that the local community should work together to get past their differences. The Clergymen criticize Martin Luther King’s demonstrations in their article, stating that outsiders (King) should not get involved, negotiation is better than direst action, protests were untimely, and many other premises. King responded to these criticisms in his Letter from Birmingham Jail. He justified these nonviolent measures that sent him to jail and explained why the segregation laws against blacks in the south must be changed. After analyzing both

King writing this letter from behind bars. He walked the statement that he makes in the letter that says, "I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle" (530).

Birmingham was known as one of the most racist cities in the South, but also a place where change needed to take place. King, having been arrested several times before for peaceful protest was in jail in Birmingham for violating law with public demonstrations. He discovered that his methods of bringing awareness to the matter of civil rights was under harsh scrutiny by white members of the church. During his short amount of time in jail, he responded to the criticism by writing one of the most important documents that came out of the Civil Rights movement known as “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”. In this document, King brilliantly displays his writing ability and how he strikes the heart of the nation pointing out his Christian beliefs and the words of the Bible in the fight for equality.

Finally, racism was a major theme, and it was even the cause of the letter’s writing. For example, Dr. King said that though “it is unfortunate that so-called demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham at this time, but . . . it is even more unfortunate that the white power structure of this city left the Negro community with no other alternative” (78), describing how it was racism that forced his actions which led him to be jailed. Dr. King further described the immense racism present at the time by noting that “There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in this nation” (78).

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” is addressed to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during their protests in Birmingham. Dr. King tells the clergymen that he was upset about their criticisms, and that he wishes to address their concerns.

In, “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, King writes about the criticisms placed on him by the Clergy and to all the white Americans who believe they are superior and do not wrong. For example when King writes, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King 3), King is speaking to the clergy who dislike his motives and actions. King is stating his innocence and that he is doing nothing wrong and that action needs to be taken in order to initiate a change. The purpose of King’s letter is not all to inspire a change in America and just address the criticism towards him and his actions but it is also a call to action. King takes on the time of a courageous, righteous, and disciplined man who

Martin Luther King created an archive that might start the defining moment of the Civil Rights development furthermore provides of the battle for genetic equity. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” aims to defend those who are frantic for peaceful immediate action, the outright shamelessness for unfair laws is very disgraceful and it needed to be exposed for what it really was. Also the expanding likelihood of falling back on amazing confusion and fighting, the utter frustration for those who lie within the chapel who, in King's opinion, required not to live up to their obligations as individuals for the lord. Those activities of the African-American race needed aid and support as the lord required demonstrated in King's Letter. Likewise, King explains, “past promises have been broken by the politicians and merchants of Birmingham and now is the time to fulfill the natural right of all people to be treated equal”. Secondly, King's solution for those clergymen's declarations that separating the law may not be the path to accomplish the effects the African-American is searching for. King feels that the chapel has bypassed its responsibilities to the African-American people, concealing behind “anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows”. King sums up his letter by making a side point that he trusts that the chapel will view its duty and intend as Concerning illustration individuals of the lord and comprehend to have immediate action, those who support unfair/one sided laws and the looming risk of the African-American climbing dependent upon Previously, savagery if they would not listen. King does this all in a diplomatic, ardent

conclusion, while Dr king was in birmingham, he came across the priest’s statement calling mr king activities unwise and untimely, in other words he felt that the priest’s were men of genuine good. he asked the question to the priest why were they being, so unrighteous and being so racist, against him and what he stood for. he was confronting the priest , because they weren’t being true to their words, and what the bible sayings were, when the affiliate organization invited mr king To birmingham to speak in a non violent direct action program, and when it was time for him to speak, he was discriminated against, and he started to quote the bible to make the priest well aware that what they were doing was wrong unrealistic and untrue, to what they stood for, he was tired of black people being outsiders, including in the united states, for a place to be considered the land of freedom, the place others dreamed to be were hurting people, because of the color of their skin.

Charles could see Erik giving up as sharply as he felt it, the small spark that he’d come to label in his own mind as ‘life force’ dwindling to an ember and extinguishing. He was stepping forward before he could stop himself, blooding rushing in his ears against time as he spoke. “Dēsístite!“

In this letter Martin Luther King Jr. starts off by using ethos to establish his credibility. By beginning the letter saying “My Dear Fellow Clergymen,” King is positioning himself to show that he is at equal status with the Birmingham Prison Clergymen and establishing that they are both on the same level. King then goes on to say that he is the President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He continues and says that they have eighty-five

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a protester and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, greatly known for his use of nonviolent forms of demonstration. On a specific occasion, King was arrested for leading a peaceful protest as part of the Birmingham Campaign, which attempted to bring national awareness to the gruesome treatment endured by blacks. While in jail, King replies to the clergyman’s remarks of him being a foreign agitator in his “Letter from a Birmingham jail,” passionately defending the actions he took. The clergymen accused King of being an extremist, as they saw his relentless protesting and civil disobedience as a threat to a stable political and social system. In paragraphs 27-32, King attempts to persuade the

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” after an unjust proposal made by eight white clergymen. Their claims were to be that no Negro “outsider” should be allowed to establish or lead any protest and should leave them to their local neighborhoods. King replied directly to the clergymen, but used religious ties to also have his voice heard in the public. In his counter argument, King strategically used logical evidence, emotional aspects and good motives to present his perspective to the clergymen.

He feels that the church is an important part of liberation for Blacks. He believe that Blacks have internal and extetrnal struggle for liberations. He also believed that God and Jesus is Black. He taught that Christianity was used to bring Black people down and keep in their control. He wanted Blacks to find beauty in their own identity and their culture.

When Rev. Brown stated something like “listen to those kids, don't just preach to them, and help them reduce violence in their own neighborhoods." This was a huge way of thinking because it was almost like the complete opposite of what he thought. Rev Brown stated that he needed to “reach out and

It was during these demonstrations that the Birmingham Police Department, under the leadership of Eugene “Bull” Connor, used forceful measures such as using high-pressured water jets and police dogs in hopes of stopping the demonstrations. These clergymen believed that Birmingham’s extreme measures were justified and they too urged the African American community to withdraw their demonstrations. King responded to the eight clergymen with his letter from the Birmingham jail.