The Nonviolent Protests Of Martin Luther King Jr.

On April 16, 1963, from a jail in Birmingham, Alabama, Martin Luther King Jr. composed an extensive letter to eight clergymen who condemned the timing of the civil rights movement. Although the letter was addressed to these eight clergymen, the Letter from Birmingham Jail speaks to a national audience, especially King’s “Christian and Jewish brothers”(King, 29). His peaceful but firm letter serves as a remarkably persuasive voice to an immensely chaotic mess, and is seen as a major turning point in the civil rights movement. King believes that without direct action, the full rights for African Americans could never be achieved. He defends the impatience of people in the civil rights movement, upholding that without forceful

In the 1960's equality for the African American community still did not exist almost one hundred years after the Civil War. Dr. King received an open letter from eight Alabama clergymen. In his "Letter from Birmingham Jail" he responded with strong rhetorical devices such as the trinity of ethos, pathos, logos, and effective strategies of anaphora, repetition and periodic sentences. He does this to emanate the racial inequality and social indignity imposed on the African American communities during this time.

King used ethical appeals to show his credibility to the clergymen which showed them that he knows what he is talking about because he has experience since he is African American himself. One thing he did in his letter was tell how he was not an amateur at events that led to imprisonment by using ethical appeals. In his letter he stated, “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South” (King 1). The dialogue shows that he was a man of good character because everyone wants their rights but he was consistent in his nonviolent approach in getting it for his race. He was the leader of a nonviolent group of African Americans who never broke just laws but broke the unjust ones which were not man-made laws. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is labeled as credible because it was created to coordinate the action of local protest groups throughout the South in a peaceful manner. He was an activist for African Americans so he knew how they have suffered because he has been involved with a lot of the violent altercations himself. King’s use of ethos should

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr extensively establishes his ethos and proves his authority on the matter of racial injustice. “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights” (King 1). King was the focal point of the Civil Rights movement and continues to symbolize the equality of all races to this very day. His authority to advocate on the

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s response to a public statement of concern from multiple Southern white religious leaders entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is perhaps one of the most important and influential pieces dedicated to the fight for equality written in the last one hundred years. It is striking just how much of the content within this letter continues to ring true. Numerous arguments King makes are still extremely relevant today, and it is nearly impossible to engage with and reflect on this text without drawing parallels to the current political landscape. This paper will discuss exactly how particular points

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. resolutely responds to eight clergymen who question his methods of protest against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Specifically, in paragraphs 12-14, Dr. King explains why his protests are indeed being done in a timely manner to obtain the “constitutional and God-given rights” (A Portable Anthology, page 207) that Africans have been restricted of for over 340 years. Dr. King’s argument, combined with his strategic use of rhetorical devices to enhance it, helps create a palpable feeling of understanding that captivates the audience into seeing America through his vision.

Such organizations have different affiliations in every southern state. Although Dr. King did not claim himself to be the best political leader in his letter, heading those organizations proves his credibility to be the right person to defend their stand on the issues being accused on them. Additionally, Dr. King also addresses his accusers as “Fellow Clergymen.” knowing that many of his accusers are Christian followers. The importance of using this address has already established that he and his accusers are equal men of good faith. Moreover, King also references multiple known historical personalities from Abraham Lincoln to Paul of Tarsus to Socrates to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and uses their beliefs and stories to persuade his accusers the reasons why is he in Birmingham

In 1954, with Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court struck down the “separate but equal” doctrine, legally (but not practically) ending segregation. Buses, schools, theaters… they were to be desegregated, but the fight wasn’t over. African Americans, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., utilized nonviolent means and civil disobedience to protest their unequal treatment. In his “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King inspired citizens to stand up and fight for equality. From a jail cell in Birmingham, he famously wrote: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one

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.

By the time of the 1963 ‘I Have a Dream’ speech at the March on Washington, King had become the voice of the various perspectives of life as a Black American. He now expressed the universal voice of all his people, and he was not afraid to use it in the pursuit of equality for Blacks (Branch, 881-3). Martin Luther King’s Birmingham campaign would prove to be the

As an African American growing up in a multi-generational household I appreciated the stories my grandparents told me about the Civil Rights Movement through their eyes. They acknowledged that Martin Luther King was not just for people of color; but all human beings who were being treated unjustly. He is known for many speeches, but The Letter from a Birmingham Jail” written in 1963 was phenomenal in my opinion; this letter, written in response to “A Call for Unity,”(Carpenter et. el, 1963 ) an article written by eight, white, Alabama clergymen, was to serve as a response to those who believed that King acted inappropriately for coming to Birmingham, Alabama, as an outsider, for creating immense tension with his demonstrations, and for the inopportune timing of his marches. Even though, the clergymen agreed that social injustice did exist, it was their opinion that these types of matter should be handled in the judicial system rather than in the streets.

One way that Mather Luther King Jr was Persistence is that, he was jailed 20 times, stabbed in the chest, his house was bombed with his family inside, relateless person attacks on himself and family. One way Barack Obama was persistence, persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willing to disregard the writer law and instead enforce his own polices. One way that Martin Luther King Jr had a peaceful protest was that the MGN gomery bus boycott from December 1st 1955 was when it started.In December 1955, when Montgomery’s black leaders, including Jo Ann Robinson, E.D. Nixon, and Ralph Abernathy formed the Montgomery Improvement

The way peaceful black men get treated today is prevalent to King. In 1963 Dr Martin Luther King Jr, was arrested for protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham Alabama. In the “letter from Birmingham jail” he talks about his nonviolent protest steps, and the excessive force he received from Birmingham police officers,” you wouldn’t commend the policemen if you observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negros.” (2017). Similar to King, Eric Garner also experienced excessive force by police that also lead to protest from the community.

Martin Luther King is an extraordinary man who has accomplished great thing in his fight against injustice and segregation. like Selma and other cities it was clouded in a storm of racism but Martin Luther King came and reduced it to ash. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” (Martin Luther King) and I think of that wondering if I can live up to those words. Back in the 20’s through 60’s racism was at it’s strongest and it got worse. Martin Luther King had a role model that shaped Dr.King into the man he is and that was his father. Dr. King has achieved many accomplishments and fought many political fights to get Civil Rights.

Lastly, King appeals to character as well as establishing his creditability. For starters, the the vocabulary King chose to use shows that he is educated and possesses the knowledge to respond to the clergymen. King also informed the clergymen that he had previous experience in conducting and participating in non-violent campaigns. This provides credibility because it showed that he had prior knowledge of the behavior and purpose of those participating, while also addressing that past campaigns have always been “untimely”, but with desired outcome. The last and most obvious proof of credibility, is that King was a black man that faced the same adversities that he referred to in the last paragraph of this section. The example being of having to personally tell his daughter why she could not be allowed to go to a public amusement park because she was black and looked at as less than.