Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Essay

One of the most skillfully written compositions was done in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was heading a national political movement for the recognizable equal treatment of colored people wrote a letter to his fellow clergy men while being imprisoned. In one article, he was able to address not only the clergy, but a wide, diverse audience, send his message across thoroughly, and affect millions of lives because of his purpose and the different personas he assumed. Dr. Kings letter was a success because of his ability to incorporate and involve everyone in his writing. Dr. King was able to reach out to millions upon millions of people with his letter. Regardless of having addressed it to his†¦show more content†¦Some may have called him a pacifist because while Malcolm X and the Panthers were for Black liberation and Black supremacy as opposed to White Supremacy, Dr. King was in favor of a peaceful co-existence between both the races. Even though Dr. King voiced his opinions loud and clear about the injustices in Birmingham and all the southern states, he openly condemned the actions of other non-peaceful black protests. He regarded their movement in a very unfavorable light and in a move that was rather controversial; he agreed with the white public that what the extreme black political activists were doing was not constructive. Every point that Dr. King had to make was related back to the Bible or the church. He drew symmetrical lines between his letter and St. Pauls writing. He was also able to draw parallels between him and Socrates as advocates of change and open dissent of public opinion and both of their connection to the Bible. Just as the prophets of the eighth centuryÂ…my own home town. (King, 174) His open disagreement with unjust laws was also in accordance with the Bible. He mentioned that just laws were laws that went along with the natural moral laws. Anything that went against that natural law or morality was unjust. He pointed out that following an unjust law would go against ones own morality, and for whoever had any religious morality, they would not want to partake in an unjust law. Dr. King clearly identified that, notShow MoreRelatedMartin Luther King Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†3011 Words   |  13 Pages[Date] Martin Luther king Jr., â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Outline 1. Introduction i) Argument about â€Å"Justice and injustice† ii) Religious appeals in King’s latter iii) Paragraph fourteen of King’s latter 2. Discussion 3. Conclusion Introduction The pressure of racial segregation was reaching a boiling point in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. 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King compared himselfRead MoreLetter From A Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.920 Words   |  4 PagesIn his â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail,† Martin Luther King Jr. makes appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos to convince the clergymen that colored people have been waiting for too long for political, economic, and social justice and freedom. He argues that it’s unfair to promise someone, or a group, for a change and not fulfill that promise. Along with demonetizing and/or belittling a person to the point where they don’t feel as important or as wor th as they should; making them feel hatred and angerRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail998 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King, Jr. seldom had time to answer his critics. But on April 16, 1963, he was confined to the Birmingham jail, imprisoned for participating in civil rights demonstrations. â€Å"Alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell,† King pondered a letter titled A Call for Unity that fellow clergymen had published pressing him to drop his crusade of nonviolent resistance and to leave the battle for racial equality to the courts. Within that document, King’s fellow clergymen caste himRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Martin Luther King Jr.1259 Words   |  6 PagesLetter from Birmingham Response The Letter from Birmingham jail was written on April 16th, 1963 by Martin Luther King jr. Martin was a prominent leader and protester in the fight against racism. King was put in jail for protesting in the streets without a permit and that is where he read the letter. The letter was written as response to the Letter from the Eight Clergymen. Their letter called for the end of the peaceful protests which were lead by King and his supporters. During the time the letterRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1342 Words   |  6 Pagesfor our constitutional and God given rights†(King 1305). This is a statement that was given in the letter by Martin Luther King Jr., he was feeling as if his people will never have the justice they deserved to have. The publication of â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail.† by Martin Luther King Jr. is written from King himself to establish his personal opinion on all the injustice movements going on. Throughout the article you w ill find that King shows views from ethos, pathos, and logos on why the Civil RightsRead MoreMartin Luther King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1860 Words   |  8 Pagesdisobedience as identified by Martin Luther King is a form of direct action, and an outright refusal to conform to laws as a form of protest. Martin Luther King addresses this method of resistance in his text, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. Martin Luther King Jr personally drafted the text as a response to criticisms made in a statement by clergymen whom apposed King’s nonviolent methods of resistance to continuous issues of racism occurring in Birmingham, Alabama. As expressed by King and described in his