“Letter from Birmingham Jail” MLK

In April of 1963, Martin Luther King was arrested for violating a court injunction not to practice public civil rights demonstrations. He was taken to the Birmingham jail where he wrote a letter to In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. is arguing for justice by presenting steps for a successful campaign. When he was imprisoned he wrote a letter addressed to his fellow clergymen. Originally, the letter was responding eight ministers but ultimately ended up being a response to the countries backlash against him. The letter addressed the state of which Birmingham’s police and justice system has treated blacks unfairly. He raises the points of bombing cases that never get solved and police brutality. Evidence and examples is how Martin Luther protected his civil rights demonstration against the law and plead his case. My favorite quote is when he quoted St. Augustine to respond to a clergyman’s criticism of how he can follow some laws and break other laws by saying, “An unjust law is no law at all.” Martin Luther then went on to critique the white Christian and Jewish church by agreeing with their ultimate vision but have great issues with the way the church pursues that vision. He then asserts the claim that his actions in Birmingham were that of extreme measures by remind the clergy the movement was nonviolent. The next section was dedicated to stressing the climate of which blacks are oppressed and people need to see that and start acting. He concludes by giving his vision of the future where the children in the south will nonviolently make civil rights demonstrations and be willing to face the legal consequences. This letter or book as Martin Luther joked, became a statement against civil discrimination and a statement supporting racial equality. This is still a relevant piece of writing today for what is left of racial inequality or any inequality in general. It is a strong call to action for justness. With Martin Luther’s thoughtful use of language and evidence, he transformed this country and fought hard and long for what he believed in.