Category: Letter from Birmingham Jail

What is social injustice? Social injustice is a generalized term that includes discrimination, racism, equal rights and more. According to Martin Luther King Jr in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” he brings up social injustice. The reason for writing the letter to my understanding is why he is in there, and why things like this happen to someone who is trying to change rights. King took a trip down to Birmingham Alabama for a non violent protest. Where people were treated unequally, where racism was a very real thing going on. Even today we still see racism around us. Many people among MLK, like Rosa Parks joined the movement to end segregation. A few years back all you would see on the news is a colored person being killed by white police officer. This being said, social injustice still exists today and we most definitely see it happening, but we are just too afraid to speak up. It’s almost like we have not grown out of the mindset from the 1960’s.

Martin Luther King Jr was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. According to Clayborne Carson and David Lewis in “Martin Luther King Jr” he was the person that ended segregation for colored people. Racism was most definitely a huge thing back then, With every colored person being treated unequally throughout the states and perhaps the whole country. There would be “whites only bathrooms” like people having the privilege to actually use the bathroom. Why should there be different bathrooms for people with different skin color? After all we are the same right? Even on busses for instance, colored people were not able to sit at places they wanted. There were specific places for them to sit at, like why should this even be a thing. People who participated in the demonstrations were often harassed by police, the police would use fire hoses and dogs to hurt the demonstrators but they did not stop.

In the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr brings up really good points. It explains a lot on how he ended segregation for colored people, and led the Civil Rights Movement. King Jr explains why he was in Birmingham “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here”(King), for the most part we all know why he was doing this, was to end segregation. Another good point he brings up is that white power was so enforced that colored people really had no other options for anything but to listen and do what they say. King also stated “We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our constitutional and God-Given rights”(King). Its crazy to believe that for this long they were not given their rights as humans and more importantly not being treated equally. Basically saying that even when they were born their rights were automatically taken away from them.

What the Birmingham Campaign led to was the March On Washington, which was one of Kings most famous accomplishments with many more to come. It was where more than 200,000 people crowded the Lincoln Memorial, whites, blacks and other races gathered to hear what King had to say, almost as if race did not have to be involved. It was just a man fighting for rights for colored people. This is where one of Martin Luther King Jr famous “I Have a Dream” speeches was spoken. In the speech he stated “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”(King).This is huge, our world should not even have came down to this. Everyone should be treated equally and not be judged by the way they look, everybody is born different. Of course many people will disagree with King and his movements and protest. I do believe that what he did for everyone was a very good thing. Everything he did gave colored people a purpose to fight for their rights, and not to be broken down by the “whites” every single day of their lives, both physically and mentally. King was trying to send a message to the world to end racism as a whole, and to let them know he will not stop till it ends.

Martin Luther King Jr’s message to end segregation was one of the greatest in the history of segregation. According to Clayborne Carson, Both his speech and his non violent protest in Birmingham sparked a revolution to end segregation. His message clearly was sent with all of his protest he has led against racism, many people joined him and other leaders throughout their protest. After all of King’s accomplishments, he was eventually assassinated by James Earl Ray, and he was sentenced to basically life in prison; 99 years.

According to Biography Editors, Rosa Parks got arrested for not giving her seat up to a white passenger. Rosa was fighting for her god given rights and not trying to be different from others. But it did not work out in her favor whatsoever. Eventually what this did for the people in Montgomery, Alabama was start the “Montgomery Bus Boycott”. Rosa was also someone who wanted to end segregation as much as MLK. For the “boycott” the African American people would not take the bus anymore to school or work. They would just walk or get a taxi to take them. After 381 days, the boycott put on eventually won, and what happened on the bus was deemed unconstitutional by the supreme court. With all the boycotts and protest, the whites would retaliate and burn down black churches and eventually they would bomb Kings house. The boycott was one of the successful protests in history to end segregation.

Social Injustice is still in our lives today, even though it has most definitely slowed down throughout the years. This should not even be a problem in our world at any point in time, we should all be treated equally and not be judged. We as a whole, still admire what Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks did to end segregation. Throughout their journey has been nothing but hardship and violence towards them. The “whites” did not see what they saw, what they saw was people that did not look like them trying to invade their own space and take their jobs. MLK and Rosa had a different vision, they wanted equal rights for colored people and in the end that is what they got.

“The Letter from Birmingham Jail” also known as “Letter from Birmingham Jail city” was written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr on April 16, 1963. The letter was addressed to his fellow clergymen. King wrote this letter while he was in Birmingham, Alabama to address criticisms regarding the non-violent protests in Birmingham. The eight clergymen were King’s intended audience. However, his constant reference to “we” signifying that the black community was his wider audience.

The letter employs an assertive but respectful tone to make arguments and counterarguments. First, King asserts that injustice anywhere is justice everywhere. For that reason, the call to non-violent action was justified. Secondly, on the clergymen’s concern of breaking laws, King argues that individuals are morally justified to break unjust laws since they are not laws. Lastly, the clergymen condemn the protest claiming they fuel violence. However, King maintains that society has an obligation of defending the robbed and punishing the robber. In the end, he asks the clergymen to forgive him if the contents of the letter are disrespectful.

King wrote the letter purposely to defend the non-violent campaigns of civil rights. In his letter, King states that he rarely had time to address criticisms. If he took the time to address such criticisms then he would have little time left to engage in constructive work. However, he chooses to answer the clergymen’s concerns because he felt that they were genuine men. By doing so, he defends the strategy and its timeliness having been commissioned to do so.

Nevertheless, King’s letter is arguably the best example of the power of persuasion using emotional appeal. Firstly, King implores to the emotions of the clergymen to abolish segregation policies by calling to their attention the prevalence of injustice in Birmingham. Secondly, King argues that freedom must be demanded because it is never given freely by oppressors. Thirdly, there is an urgency to abolish segregation laws because African Americans have waited for more than 340 years for their God-given and constitutional rights. Lastly, he appeals to them as a father whose heart breaks when he has to tell his little girl that amusement parks are for whites only.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Letter from Birmingham Jail is an effective persuasion speech that uses a blend of an assertive tone and emotional technique to convince the clergymen to abolish segregation laws. People need not wait for the court’s intervention to get justice. Instead, they have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws and take matters into their own hands. Besides the letter was effective because it had the urgency of abolishing segregation laws as the call to action. The people could no longer wait and had to take matters into their own hands because justice delayed was justice denied.

In such times of crisis, suffrage, and brutality, one man had the courage to make a change. Martin Luther King Jr. was that man, and he went down in history due to his outstanding willingness to act. In August of 1963, King wrote well known yet lengthy essay, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, he covers many topics in an attempt to get his voice out. King’s main claim in his letter is to introduce evidence of why the segregation laws are wrong, and he did that to his best ability considering he wrote it in jail. King supplies more than enough credibility in his letter by providing examples of African Americans who have suffered the immoral actions from segregationist. While providing examples, King appeals to pathos in a variety of ways. He not only appeals to the emotions of fellow African Americans but all Americans.

In his letter, King begins by telling the reader why he is in Birmingham; continuing on, he addresses many accusations that his actions were untimely. These accusations bothered King, for he was tired of the passivity of African Americans and even the white moderate. Later, he is identified as an extremist and responds with examples of other famous leaders that he finds to be extremist. King believes that one can’t go straight to the extreme segregationist for results and that direct nonviolent action must be taken in order to fulfill the ultimate goal- equality, and freedom. In his closing statement, King begs forgiveness of the reader. If he has made an overstatement of the truth, he begs forgiveness from God.

In reference to ethos, King paints personal credibility and trustworthiness in many ways throughout the entirety of his letter. His intended main audience is the clergymen who see his actions to have negative connotations. The clergymen called him an outsider, and he defends himself by claiming to also be a clergyman. While King doesn’t straight up say, “I am a clergyman”, he does give subtle hints. He refers to them as, “fellow clergymen”, and uses diction like, “we” and “our” that obviously suggests that he too is a clergyman. n the first paragraph, King states, “Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas”. However, he feels that these men were acting out of genuine good, so he decided to answer the questions of the fellow clergymen. The clergymen believed that King was in Birmingham to stir up trouble. In response, he first asserts that as the President of the Southern Biblical leadership council, he was invited there, and his intentions were to orchestrate a nonviolent protest and nothing more. King goes into more detail on his intentions in Birmingham by listing the four steps of a nonviolent protest. First, he gathers information to ensure that injustice is alive, then he attempts to negotiate, however, the clergymen would not comply. The final two steps include self-purification and direct action.

Along with his ethos appeals, King also provides a strong call of logos. For example, he makes clear that the central purpose of his essay was to answer the statements of the eight clergymen, and doing so he provides many logical arguments that beat down the accusations put forth by the clergymen. The Clergymen first stated that King should have negotiated with community leaders rather than jumping straight into protest. He responds by informing that he did choose to negotiate first, but it failed due to troubles of the leaders of the community. After that didn’t work, King, along with other leaders in the Southern Biblical Leadership Council decided to carry out a peaceful protest. The Clergymen went on to illustrate King’s action as “untimely”. On behalf of this accusation, King writes on how the oppressed have sat back and waited for too long, and it is time to act. He alludes to the untimely statements with emotion by saying, “For years now I have heard the word ‘wait.’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This ‘wait’ has almost always meant ‘never”.” This emotional response is clearly an awakening for the oppressed to stop waiting.After refuting the statements of the clergymen, King moves on to explain his disappointment in the white moderate. He mentions that he agrees with what they want, but he strongly disagrees with their lack of action. In fact, King believes that the white moderate are worse than the full on segregationist. Mostly due to the fact that the white moderate outnumbers the radical white man by a large margin. Furthermore, King he discusses his disappointment in the church, instead of doing what is right and defending the negroes, the church just passively stands by and watch segregation go on. Rather than playing defense in his response to the eight clergymen, King plays on the offensive side and clearly outscores his opponent (the clergymen).

King’s use of pathos in his letter is extremely professional and it really shows the tone in which he is trying to portray. He expresses emotion throughout the entire letter, but one paragraph in particular seems to outdo the rest. The Paragraph includes an anaphora to emphasize the importance, and many real examples of the hurt that has gone on in the black community. In this paragraph, King provides a series of detailed stories of black men, women, and children suffering at the expense of the cruel behavior of radical whites.

While King did stand against the clergy men outnumbered eight to one, he was successful in his response by proving them wrong with a substantial amount of evidence and examples. King controlled his temper throughout his letter in a way that very few men could. King is successful not only because he stands up for the well being of the African American race, but mainly because he wants what is best for all Americans white and black alike.

King approaches every paragraph of his letter with such expertise and professionalism that speaks deeply into the hearts of Americans. Just one example he provides is in the long paragraph that was filled with emotion. “When you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos, ‘Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?’”. King utilizes rhetorical strategies along with the experience that he already has, to emphasize his tone and accomplish his goal. He wrote a letter out of a jail cell in Birmingham, and it greatly changed America for the better. Martin Luther King Jr. A true American hero.

Introduction: The Arrest and Response of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Imagine being thrown into a dark, damp, cold-stone jail cell, for peacefully assembling and expressing your freedom of speech? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested and thrown in the Birmingham Jail for expressing what we know today as our first amendment right. He wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in response to the eight white Alabama clergymen who released and publicized their statement in a local newspaper. They accused King of being an “outsider”, of using “extreme measures” which directly encouraged “hatred and violence”, calling his demonstrations “unwise and untimely”, and stating that segregation should be “properly pursued in the courts” (“Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen”). Martin Luther King Jr. uses a combination of the three rhetorical appeals: ethos (ethical appeal), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logically appeal), as essential tools to be persuasively powerful concerning his ambition to end racial segregation and the injustices brought against African Americans.

Establishing Credibility: Ethos in King’s Letter

Dr. King employs ethos in his “Letter” first and foremost in response to the Alabama clergymen who publicly questioned his legitimacy and deemed him an “outsider”.

In regards to this defamation King feels the need to state the following; ‘I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham since you have been influenced by the view which argues against ‘outsiders coming in.’ I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. . . We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. . . I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here’ (King Para 2).

Dr. King felt the need to list out his credentials and point out the personal relationship and organizational ties he had with the Birmingham community. His presidential position in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, active involvement in these various organizations, and King’s close connection to the Birmingham community prove that he ‘isn’t really an outsider; the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights is an affiliate of SCLC’ (Rieder 48). Dr. King uses ethos to appeal to his reader’s ethics to convince his readers concerning his own character and persuasive credibility. In doing so, King successfully reestablished himself as a credible speaker and respectable authority figure whom his audience can trust to receive reliable information regarding the subject of segregation and the injustices brought towards African Americans.

Evoking Emotions: Pathos to Highlight Injustices

King creates a periodic run-on sentence focusing on pathos, to clarify and support his claim concerning the injustices African Americans face. He uses visually descriptive language to create mental pictures of these horrific injustices to appeal to the reader’s emotions. King use of language places the reader to briefly change their perspective by stating, “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters. . . then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait’ (King Para 12). Dr. King does not simply say or point out that there is injustice in the world, he gives the reader a way to visualize it and feel it. King created this periodic run-on sentence to purposely delay its true meaning until the very end. This writing strategy forces the reader to ‘wait’ while simultaneously being emotionally overwhelmed, so the reader could understand why it is so difficult for African Americans to simply “wait” for justice. Dr. King is reporting a list of his own grievances which are a reflection of own personal experiences that are inflicted upon African American people. King shared his experiences with “intensity and transferred it to the movement’s relationship to the public audiences’ (Patton 60). As the speaker, he was successfully able to “move a listener to more. . . intensely felt states of mind by bringing the objects of emotions closer. . . from the listener’s temporal/spatial field of perception’ (Patton 60).

King successfully emotionally appealed to his readers (specifically the white moderates), he consistently used the phrase “when you” to force his reader to briefly be placed in the shoes of an African American. He wanted his readers to become emotionally overwhelmed and ‘respond to the cry for justice if they could first feel the injustice’ (Rieder 63). King’s use of pathos gives the reader a whole new perspective on the suffrage, humiliation, and injustices African Americans faced.

Logical Arguments: Logos in the Fight Against Segregation

Dr. King utilizes logos to show various facts and examples which uphold his claim that although segregation and The Jim Crow Laws are indeed fact the law, it does not make them just laws. He strategically presents the argument of just and unjust laws alongside St. Thomas Aquarius’ an expertise on the subject to serve as an example and known fact to provide factually based information to support his claim.

Martin Luther King Jr. defines: “a just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality” (King Para 13).

Dr. King presents a historical analogy between his own definitions of a just and unjust law with those of St. Thomas Aquarius to appeal to his reader’s logic and reason concerning the subject of segregation. King clearly expresses that a “natural law is the ‘ought’ that the positivists seek to distinguish in their search for the ‘is’. . . although the will of the state is segregation Martin Luther King, Jr., can say with authority, ‘ it’ ought not to be’ and therefore it is no law at all and there is ‘legal’ right to disobey the will of the state” (Hurtado and Govern). King provides clarity to his audience by defining a just law (natural law) and an unjust law. These definitions appeal to the reader’s logic, then pinpointing that segregation is wrong because God would never separate his people and find it unjust because we were all created equal. King’s intellectual argument is as follows: “Just laws are those that support humanity and unjust laws are those that do not. . . Therefore, if segregation ‘distorts the soul and damages the personality’ it is necessarily unjust” (“Rhetorical Analysis”). King’s utilized his own definitions along with those of Thomas St. Aquarius logically appeals to the reader, forcing him or her to come to the rational conclusion that segregation is an unjust law.

Conclusion: The Unified Power of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

In conclusion, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos to appeal to the reader’s ethics, emotion, and logic throughout his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to powerfully persuade his audience to take action to end racial segregation and injustice everywhere. Dr. King employs ethos to establish his credibility, reinforce his legitimacy, and knowledge to the reader by providing various examples and clarifications that help reassure his audience that he is a trustworthy and respectable author. King effectively utilizes pathos by vividly describing the injustices African Americans even himself face, he wanted his readers to feel these brutal injustices and spark a response for justice in his readers. Also, King uses logos by defining a just and unjust law to force the reader to come to the logical conclusion that segregation while it may be a law, it is an unjust law. Many times, injustices are indescribable unless you have experienced it yourself. King employs the three rhetorical appeals to force his readers to place themselves in the shoes of an African American. To allow his readers to experience injustice through imagery and empathy from a credible author who supports his claims with reason. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s power of persuasion calls for an intervention because “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King Para 4).

Works Cited

1. Hurtado, Pablo S., and Kevin H. Govern. ‘Diversity, global unity, and the holy trinity: making sense of world events through an integrative jurisprudence [c].’ The Journal Jurisprudence, Feb. 2010, p. 67+. Gale Academic Onefile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A280005000/AONE?u=tel_a_clscc&sid=AONE&xid=fdbe8cda. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.
2. King, Martin Luther. “‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]’.” African Studies Center – University of Pennsylvania, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 2019, http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
3. O’Conner, Michael. “King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail: a Rhetorical Analysis.” King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail: a Rhetorical Analysis, MERLOT- California State University System, Sept. 9AD, https://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=79662.
4. “Rhetorical Analysis.” Grammar and Usage | The Writing Center, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro , 2015, https://writingcenter.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Rhetorical-Analysis.pdf
5. Rieder, Jonathan. Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation. Bloomsbury Press, 2014.
6. Patton, John H. “A Transforming Response: Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’” Rhetoric and Public Affairs, vol. 7, no. 1, 2004, pp. 53–65. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41939890.
7. “Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen.” MassResistance ProFamily Activism, MassResistance, 2019, https://www.massresistance.org/docs/gen/09a/mlk_day/statement.html.

In Henry David Thoreau’s ‘ Civil Disobedience’ and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s. ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ the creators look at the thought of defying the administration on account of good treachery. Thoreau sets forth his thinking for opposing the law and gets other individuals to battle for what they know to be ethically right. Likewise a century later King verbalizes his need to fight the legislature and how a dynamic approach can possibly make a difference. In both of these papers, King and Thoreau investigate the idea of methodical unfairness. Also utilizing various tones to pass on their messages.and test laws that some and maybe even you, feel weren’t ethically right.

Inside ‘Civil Disobedience’ and ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ the creators address treacheries that are submitted by the administration. Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King have two very surprising points of view: Thoreau is a white man living during the 1800s declining to make good on regulatory obligations, and King is a black man at the front line of the Civil Rights Movement. A ruler is dependent upon the laws he restricts, Thoreau is not. Regardless of their contrasting perspectives, the two do share a very similar belief system. At the point when Thoreau discusses government shameful acts, he is discussing subjection while when King does so he is alluding to isolation. Thoreau states in his article, ‘ If we were left solely to the wordy wit of legislators in Congress for guidance, uncorrected by the seasonable experience and the effectual complaints of the people, America would not long retain her rank among the nations’ (Henry David Thoreau Pg. 739). In saying this, he implies that if residents never scrutinized the administration’s activities the United States would not be the nation that it is. A law isn’t naturally just or reasonable in light of the fact that it was set up by the legislature, and it is the activity of the residents to hold the administration under tight restraints.

[bookmark: _gjdgxs]In addition to pointing out the administration’s requirement of social shameful acts in the public arena, Thoreau contends that it is a resident’s obligation to face a great difference. In doing as such, Thoreau’s work addresses the possibility of the individual versus the group or the minority versus the dominant part. He states in his article, ‘Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil. It makes it worse. Why is it not more apt to anticipate and provide for reform? Why does it not cherish its wise minority?’ (Henry David Thoreau Pg. 732). In Thoreau’s conclusion, a general public wherein the dominant part consistently gets the opportunity to direct the laws set up is a general public where out of line laws exist. He contemplates what ought to be done when the minority demonstrates to be the more good group. Thoreau asserts strongly, issues of ethical quality ought to be chosen by the individual and not by the laws set by the legislature. In which I agree to agree with Thoreau.

Since the administration chooses what is permitted, Thoreau influences individuals to consistently battle for what is good and to never be careless despite treachery. He contends, ‘Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison’ (Henry David Thoreau Pg. 731). A person who is moral and good can’t be unconcerned to foul play happening in the public eye.

Also, in the ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ Dr. King argues that the privileges of a minority might be allowed but will be battled for and highly tested. In the wake of tending to the convictions of the individuals who counter his system Dr. King states, ‘We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor it must be demanded by the oppressed’ (Pg. 261). Dr. King’s rivals question why to violate the law when one can essentially endeavor to move towards arrangement in a progressively inactive way because of this counterargument. Dr. King affirms that immediate activity is important to roll out a huge improvement. Dr. King states, ‘You may well ask, ‘Why direct activity, why demonstrations, walks, etc.? Isn’t exchange a superior way?’ You are actually directly in your call for an arrangement. To be sure, this is the reason for the direct activity. The peaceful direct activity looks to make such an emergency and set up such innovative pressure that a network that has reliably wouldn’t arrange is compelled to go up against the issue. It looks for so to perform the issue that it can never again be disregarded.’ (Pg. 264) One can’t kick back and trust that in the long run persecuted and underestimated gatherings will pick up the rights they worked towards. Through looking at history, it is obvious that people with significant influence don’t relinquish their benefits without anyone else activity they should be compelled into doing as such. Dr. King says in his letter, ‘My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups are more immoral than individuals’ (Pg. 262 ). Much like Thoreau, King perceives that people are regularly better than the system. One may see unfairness in the public eye and become ready to alter their way of life, and let nothing get in their way. None of the past advancement made by the Civil Rights Movement has been accomplished through lack of concern. Change is made by people willing to undergo prosecution and being condemned by the public and not giving up in the wake of battle. Yet still not willing to give up until they see actual change occurs.

Both Henry David Thoreau and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. express comparative ideas and thoughts, but yet in their own unique way. Thoreau comes off as being very irritated and frustrated in his tone as you read from his text. Where Dr. King always sounds very put together while getting his point across in his text. When Dr. King wrote while in jail, he was still able to resight scripture off the top of his head. In other text Dr. King states, ‘You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is positively a real concern. Since we so constantly urge individuals to comply with the Supreme Court’s choice of 1954 banning isolation in the government-funded schools, it is somewhat bizarre and confusing to us deliberately overstepping laws.’ (Pg. 256) Here he recognizes the position of the white men and sees that they mean well however, however their absence of activity isn’t what is going to make things happen. It isn’t what’s going to bring forth change.

In both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau’s expositions, they investigate the possibility of common noncompliance. Their messages are entwined, yet their tones vary significantly. Dr. King intentionally keeps up an increasingly aware tone, as a black man living under a country that persecutes him. Thoreau is a white man that isn’t straightforwardly influenced by the contrast given by the administration. Yet at the same time Thoreau communicates his intense disgust for it. A decade apart and both together have different points of view, however they both offer comparable perspectives. Both urge people to do what they feel is ethically right and to not submit to what you feel is unjust.

In the “Letter From Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr, he responds to the accusations labeled against him by the clergymen to justify his actions. In his response, he successfully appeals to the readers through Aristotle’s three appeals: pathos, logos, and ethos throughout the letter.

First, Martin Luther King Jr uses pathos by creating an emotional response to his audience about his story and what he had to face. Although he was confined in prison, he found space and time to write his letter to paint a picture for readers of what it was like to be an African American. It was the reason he could not stay idle in Atlanta as he was concerned with the many injustices occurring in Birmingham, a city he considered the most thoroughly segregated place in the United States. He does this by appealing to the emotions and aspirations of the readers. King said that they were victims of broken promises as merchants failed to remove humiliating racial signs. He attracted the emotion of parents by giving an example of how black children had been affected by racial segregation and how parents found difficulty in explaining the situation. They find their ‘tongue twisted’ (King 2) trying to explain to their children why they could not visit an amusement park, which was advertised on TV because they are black. Furthermore, he reiterated that such an explanation would make a child develop hatred and stereotypes for white people. King did not only explain what the children went through, but he also wanted to appeal to the White Americans. He wanted them to feel their pain and empathize with the struggles of the African American communities.

As a matter of fact, King emphasized the importance of his arguments and described what the American South would be like if the African Americans decided to adopt violent actions instead of his peaceful protests. He was “convinced that by now many streets of the South would be flowing with floods of blood” (King 4). This quote appeals to readers’ emotions by using provoking image. He argued that violent demonstrations would call for retaliation from the white community, and the whole American South would be in chaos and war. So keeping a peaceful and bold protest will deliver and carry out their arguments and get the attention they deserve.

Second, Martin Luther King Jr. uses logos to persuade his readers with factual evidence. He wrote the letter like an attorney, defining what was just and unjust from different perspectives. Also, he employed logical reasoning throughout this letter, outlining a couple of facts the eight white clergymen failed to consider. For instance, he implies the clergymen are partial in obeying the law and “[break] some laws and obeying others?’ (King 3). Using factual evidence, King justifies why nonviolent demonstrations and disobedience is the key to their “constitutional and God-given rights” (King 3). The nonviolent direct actions are meant to cause tension that would create an avenue for negotiations. While the clergymen consider their demonstrations unwise and untimely, they failed “to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations” (King 1).

King outlines four steps for nonviolent campaigns, which they had already gone through in Birmingham: the collection of facts to establish whether there is injustice, being open for negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. He writes that there was compelling evidence that there were racial injustices in the Black community . Despite this evidence, and even after reaching out to their city fathers for negotiations, they failed to enter into negotiations in goodwill. The merchants gave them promises they were unable to fulfill. Realizing it was difficult to rely on them, they resorted to self-purification and needed a ‘direct-action program for the Easter season'(King 2) to impose pressure on the merchants, which would open the doors for negotiation for the neglected Black community.

Lastly, King uses ethos to convince his readers using examples of historical figures to prove his credibility. King was cautious when he described himself, and while framing his argument, he proved that he understood and acknowledged American cultural ideals. In the introduction, he called the clergymen ‘fellow clergymen,’ (King 4) meaning they are his equal. Also, he recognized their status and sincerity in his response, acknowledging their credibility as men of goodwill who respect the teachings of the Bible. Although he introduced himself as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he wrote that it was an honor, for he did not consider himself the most excellent political strategist or claim to have the foremost authority on Jesus. In most of his arguments in the letter, he referred to great leaders and philosophers and the contemporary worlds such as Abraham Lincoln and Socrates. Just like them, King argues that these people were righteous sufferers of persecution, freedom fighters, and countercultural visionaries. He points out how Socrates felt the need for uncertainty or tension in mind for individuals to awaken from their stress and struggle and enter into a realm of objective appraisal and creative analysis. Just like Socrates, they used nonviolent actions to create that tension in society for people to realize they need to act.

Conclusion

Within this letter, he writes his life’s work and purpose to persuade his audience of the neglected African American community with pathos, uses logos by emphasising how laws were not fair and shouldn’t be treated so lightly, and uses ethos to explain his logical reasoning with historical heroes with similar ideas that developed way back then. In summary, King was successfully able to incorporate Aristotle’s three appeals which ultimately made a clear and persuasive argument.

Work Cited

1. King, Martin Luther. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” The Atlantic, Aug 1963, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/02/letter-from-birmingham-jail/552461/.

Gandhi, a mover and shaker in India’s independent movement would often state, “If cowardice is the only alternative to violence, it is better to fight.” This phrase was broadcasted to the public a couple of times to make in known that there is always another alternative, there is always the way of nonviolent resistance. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader in the civil rights movement, agreed with this claim as it states in his, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in 1963. He was arrested for leading a protest against racial segregation in a march at downtown Birmingham. Clergymen from Alabama disagreed with King’s intentions, so he wrote his letter addressed to them. He uses his letter to speak on his behalf on nonviolent resistance to oppression and racism. To get his point across he makes an appeal to his readers by using pathos, and utilizes literary devices such as allusion, and metaphors.

“Letter from Birmingham Jail,” conveys moments about the suffering of the Black community. In order for Dr. King’s argument to be understood, you have to interpret why the situation is unjust. By using pathos, he gives a clear image of what African Americans have to undergo in the segregated south. He goes on to offer a quick view into the way the criminal justice system dealt with colored people that “if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women, if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men,” (King par.42) you would not be so quick to defend policemen “if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negros.”(42) He goes on with the use of pathos trying to get into the hearts of anyone who loves children when he describes the discomfort of being a African American parent. That “you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering”(14)when you try to explain why your kid can’t go to an amusement park because it’s “closed to colored children” even though you “see tears willing up in [their] eyes.”(14) Or even when you have to painfully explain to them when they ask, on “why do white people treat colored people so mean?” (14) By doing this Dr. King is conveying to white people, a highly relatable sight into the suffering of the Black community.

M.L.K uses biblical allusions since he was a Christian to show and connect to his authority. He states that he is “in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so [he’s] compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond [his] own home town. Like Paul, [he] must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.” (3) Martin Luther King Jr. talks about admired extremists in the bible and in history. He uses Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson as examples to demonstrate that extremism can be significant as long as you can use it for love and not hate. He then suggests that the south is in need for an extremist. “An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in external law and natural law,” (16) was stated by St. Thomas Aquinas. Dr. king mentions him because he was a biblical figure of authority to the Christians. A Christian existentialist philosopher, Paul Tillich, was also mentioned my Martin because Tillich said that separation was a sin. There is a sense of authority when King mentions Tillich, because Tillich says that separation is a sin, King implies that discrimination and segregation is also a sin.

In his “Letter” King gets together metaphors to set up the ideas in influencing language. The manner in which he utilizes metaphors makes it simpler for the reader to shape their perspective on these theoretical thoughts. He conveys the light and darkness of this essay by utilizing metaphors. He expresses the “moral light” (12) required to fight the “stinging dark segregation” (14). In a more enhanced metaphor he writes, “ Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.” (47) Racial discrimination is connected with aggressive and gloom ridden images: “dark clouds,” “deep fog,” “fear drenched.” (47) These are obstructive conditions since they cast out the light and block our capacity of enabling us to see obviously. The bluntness of these pictures is diverged from light symbolism. By looking at “love and brotherhood” (47) to stars, Martin is suggesting that there is light that can fight the obscurity of partiality, foul play, and imbalance. By making this light and dim differentiation in his analogies king positions love, fraternity, injustice, equality, and the finish of isolation in positive ter4ms reviewing positive feelings, while division, despise, foul play, disparity, and the continuation of isolation with negative pictures and negative feelings.

King additionally utilizes the metaphor of ailment to discuss racial treachery. King makes reference to the “disease of segregation” (13,32) twice in his letter. He additionally looks at the certain demonstration of savagery of segregation and compares it to a boil: “Like a boil that can never be so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.” (24) Here king is attempting to pass on the result of a quiet dissent, contending that this conspicuous pressure is important on the off chance that we are going to determine the issue of treachery. He analyses imbalance of segregation to a rotting sore that must be uncovered. By and by disparity, and segregation are displayed as destructive and harmful, though the work he is doing is recuperating and supportive. The metaphor here interfaces isolation with negative feelings while social liberties activism is appeared with an increasingly positive effect, which makes it simpler to shape, in the reader, a positive impression of king’s contention.

Conclusion

In conclusion Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” confesses that he feels highly dissatisfied with the white community that disregards the suffering of African Americans, who assure equality but after all cannot fulfill their oath, of the police force instead of enforcing the laws disobey the laws, and the clergymen who do not enforce the divine laws. He had an outstanding impact on his readers because he could merge two important parts in this essay the emotion and logic. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” king uses emotion presenting just how strong appeals to pathos can be. By doing this he gives examples of how white people mistreated colored people. Then he used logic with evidence expressing the truth using religious allusions, and emotionally laden metaphors, he attempts to convince his audience of the injustice segregation and to urge them to support the civil rights work he is doing. The combinations of these elements had as a result a direct and concise essay that can prove their arguments to the generality of its readers. [1256]

Works Cited

1. Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” April 1963

Analyzing King’s Sarcastic yet Respectful Tone

King’s tone in the opening paragraph can be described as sarcastic, yet respectful and understanding. He directly addresses the points made by the clergymen in a lighthearted way to express how he understands their urge to send such a letter. For example, by stating “But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely srt forth,” King is being sarcastic because he knows that their letter was not meant to benefit the demonstrators, but rather ease the situation for themselves (1). But in doing this, King remains respectful because he does not directly nor bluntly criticize the clergymen in the way that they did to him by calling his activities “unwise and untimely.” Rather, he gives the clergymen the benefit of the doubt and makes an effort to see the goodness in them rather than focusing on their negative actions. He also clearly states that he intends to respond in a “patient and reasonable” manner, making his tone even clearer. Moreover, it can be argued that the tone is also ironic because King states “If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time…” immediately after making it clear that he is in jail as he writes this letter (1). This is ironic because by being in jail, King does not have a desk full of papers nor does he have secretaries managing the letters he receives. In a way, he is showing the clergymen that he has nothing better to do but respond to their letter.

King’s Strategic Paragraph Arrangement and Credibility

King arranges paragraphs two through four in the order that he does to make sure that his audience is first aware of the situation he is in, and second, aware of the type of person he is and his involvement in the civil rights movements. He begins paragraph two by discussing why he is in jail and directly addresses the point made by the clergymen that referred to him as an “outsider.” He reminds the clergymen that he is “president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” and references his heavy involvement in the Christian community in order to show the clergymen that they are speaking to someone who thoroughly understand what is occuring, proving that he is far from being an outsider (2). In paragraph three, King discusses the issues present in Birmingham and proceeds to further his credibility by including a Biblical allusion where he relates himself to the Apostle Paul in order to appeal to his audience of clergymen. Finally, in paragraph four, King emphasizes the need for unity ends by reiterating his argument of not being an outsider. This arrangement aids King in his argument because he first introduces his audience to his situation to gain their understanding then moves to establishing his credibility and rebutting their arguments. If King were to reverse the arrangement of these paragraphs, he would lose the emphasis placed on his credibility and lose the understanding of his audience because he would have begun with a statement that the clergymen would immediately disagree with, causing them to be unwilling to hear his argument.

King’s religious allusions utilize both ethos and pathos because he is speaking to an audience of clergymen who have devoted their life to Christianity. By making several references to religious figures and situations, he proves to his audience that he understands Christianity and the Bible just as much as they do, if not more. These allusions remind them of his several educational degrees and the time he spent studying every aspect of the religion. The allusions also employ pathos because the references he makes to when Christians were hated reminds the audience of a time of “injustice” and makes it clear that the same injustice is now occurring. He is also targeting the emotions and morals of the clergymen because as religious leaders, they should understand the references he makes and how they prove to be appropriate to the situation.

Detailing the Nonviolence of the Civil Rights Movement

King goes into detail to explain the nonviolence of his movement to prove the clergymen’s points wrong. They stated that the protests were violent and unnecessary, but King uses an abundance of details to show how much time and dedication goes into making sure these protests are not violent in any way. He also points out that if these demonstrations do become violent, it is not because of the organizers of the protests, but rather the people who refuse to listen and negotiate. He also provides a detailed explanation of the “four basic steps” were implemented into setting up these demonstrations and how there was never any violent intentions (6). King does all this to prove to the clergymen that it is not the fault of his organization that these demonstrations are viewed as violent because they put in much effort to make sure they are able to get their point across in a determined yet respectful and peaceful manner. He also emphasizes how the demonstrators have been mindful of the other situations occurring in the city, such as the elections, to further prove the respect African Americans have for their opposers despite being brutally ridiculed by them. By explaining the process in an orderly manner, King reflects the orderly and organized process of creating these demonstrations.

In sentence 2 of paragraph 14, King juxtaposes the rate of change in Asian and African culture with that of American culture to show how America is exemplified as the leading country, but in this situation it is far from earning that honor. He strives to show his audience how other countries have moved past the issue of racial inequality and racial injustice, yet America is falling behind because they have not yet reached this point. King does this to express how America is no longer the leading country of the world nor does it live up to its title of “the land of the free.” This juxtaposition also appeals to the patriotism of his audience and is intended to inflict a feeling of guilt in them for letting their country sink to such a low level.

Juxtaposition and Periodic Sentences: King’s Rhetorical Mastery

The long sentence in paragraph 14 is a periodic sentence that is arranged the way it is to demonstrate to the clergymen the reasons that African American have for their protesting. The sentence is arranged so that it begins with more general situations that members of the community have faced, such as “when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters,” then moves to more personal situations that King has faced, such as “when…you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park…” (14). By repeating “when” and continuously piling examples, King emphasizes how these demonstrations are not “untimely,” but rather perfectly timed to face the urgency of the situation. This sentence is meant to expose the clergymen to the life that African Americans have become used to and illustrate to them the many reasons that King and his organization have for protesting. It also illustrates the situations that the clergymen do not see occurring, which can be interpreted as King telling them that they almost have no right to be against the movement when they do not even understand the details of it. When reversing the order of the sentence, the devestating impact it has is lost because rather than ending with the impactful statement of “when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next…,” King would be starting with this statement and moving from personal statements to more generalized ones (14). The original sentence pulls the audience through a roller coaster of emotions that ends with a statement proving the fearful life of an African American while the reversed sentence begins more personal then builds suspense until ending on the climax of murder and harassment.

Religious Allusions: Ethos and Pathos in King’s Argument

The first rhetorical strategy King uses in paragraph 25 is rhetorical questions. For example, after identifying one of the points made by the clergymen, he follows with “But is this a logical assertion?” The use of several rhetorical questions forces the clergymen to take a moment and rethink the situation from the new perspective King is now providing them with. The second rhetorical strategy King utilizes is several allusions, including ones to Socrates and Jesus. For example, in an effort to refute the point made by the clergymen that the demonstrators’ protests “precipitate violence,” King states “Isn’t it like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God’s will precipitated the evil act of crucifiction?” This Biblical allusion utilizes both ethos and pathos by reemphasizing King’s understanding of the Bible and questioning the morals of the clergymen. The third rhetorical strategy is an analogy where King compares the civil rights movement to a robbery. He does this by stating, “Isn’t this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” This analogy is meant to immediately cause the clergymen to realize the mistake in the point they made and reevaluate their perspective on the situation. The final rhetorical strategy is the repetition of the word “precipitate.” King repeats the word five times in the paragraph in order to emphasize his point, which is that his movement should not be condemned because it is viewed as a precipitator to violence.

The first chief rhetorical strategy used in paragraph 31 is a Biblical allusion to a verse that states “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” By quoting this verse, King reminds the clergymen of the Words of Christ that directly apply to the situation they are in. The second rhetorical strategy is anaphora, which King utilized by repeating the phrase “Was not” in the beginning of a series of subsequent sentences. This emphasizes the point that King is trying to make because he could have stopped after providing only a couple of examples, but he continues to pile on references in order to confirm that his point has been understood. The third rhetorical device is the repetition of the word “extremist,” which is stated twelve times in the paragraph to emphasize Martin Luther King Jr.’s point that being an extremist is not a term that he should be perceived as offensive. The fourth rhetorical strategy is the use of several rhetorical questions. For example, King asks “Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?” By including these questions right after eachother, King is testing the morals of not only the clergymen, but his secondary audience as well. The fifth rhetorical strategy is juxtaposition, which King utilizes by juxtaposing the negative connotation of an extremist with the positive one. FOr instance, when illustrating the scene of the Crucifixion, King states “Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth, and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment.” By doing this, King shows that although the clergymen may have meant to offend him by referring to him as an extremist, he views the title as a positive label that he is proud of holding.

King waits until paragraph 45 to address the alleged commendable behavior of the Birmingham police in “preventing violence” because if he began by immediately disagreeing with the clergymen, they would not be willing to listen to his argument. When beginning the letter, King stated that he would be addressing the clergymen in “patient and reasonable terms.” If he had began with the argument against the Birmingham police, he would not be approaching the situation as he said he would. In addition, King has made it clear that all the previous points of the clergymen were simply misunderstandings and that he understood where they were coming from when making these points. But when it came to the involvement of the police, King wholey disagreed with the point made about the police’s behavior being commendable and was unable to understand how the clergymen could come to this conclusion. By waiting until the end of his letter to address this, King has already built a strong enough position where he can forcefully disagree with the clergymen rather than approaching each point with patience and understanding as he previously did. Addressing this situation near the end of the letter leaves his audience of clergymen with the impression that although King was kind and understanding through his letter, he is not afraid to advocate for what he believes is right. Leaving off on this point concludes the letter effectively and dramatically enough to make King’s letter strongly compelling.

One pattern of figurative language that Martin Luther King utilizes in his letter is the comparison between high and low. For example, in paragraph ten, King states, “…could ride from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal…,” where living in lies is considered to be the low and living in truth being the high. In the same sentence, King also states, “..rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood…,” where “prejudice and racism” are the low and “understanding and brotherhood” are the high. Furthermore, when comparing just and unjust laws, King asserts that “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (26). In this statement, unjust laws are the low and just laws are the high. In addition, in paragraph 22, the comparison of Adolf Hitler to the aiding and comforting of Jews can be interpreted as Hitler’s actions being a low and the actions of those who aided the Jews being a high. In paragraph 23, King states “Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection,” where although it may not seem like it, “lukewarm acceptance” is the low “outright rejection” is the high. Another example of this form of figurative language is found in the statement, “Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity,” where “racial injustice” is the low and “human dignity” is the high (26). A final example of this figurative language is in the concluding sentence of the letter where King states, “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty” (50). In this statement, the current state of the country where “racial prejudice” reigns is considered to be the low and the desired state of the nation where “love and brotherhood will shine” is the high.

When focusing on the periodic sentence in paragraph fourteen, it can be found that the word “when” is repeated several times throughout the sentence. For example, the sentence begins with “But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim” (14). The sentence then continues with examples of violent situations African Americans face, each beginning with the word “when,” and ends with “when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro…” (14). The repetition of the word “when” subsequently throughout the sentence overwhelms the readers because it accumulates many instances that bring about a dismal response. The audience is faced with example after example, overwhelming the reader with emotions and exposing them to situations they may not have been aware of, which will affect their view on the overall issue. The repetition of the word “when” is effective in this instant because it builds suspense as well as proves the urgency of the situation at hand and demonstrates why the civil rights movement is necessary.

Concluding Thoughts: King’s Patient and Reasonable Approach

Martin Luther King Jr. Began his letter in a patient and reasonable tone where he showed understanding for the clergymen’s criticism. He then moves to directly addressing each point made by the clergymen utilizing complex syntax and intricately built arguments. When concluding with his final three paragraphs, King reverts from his forcible arguing and exemplifying to his initial patient and considerate tone in order to convey to his audience that he is not trying to come off as violent or defensive, but rather someone who is willing to resolve any misunderstandings. In addition, the three paragraphs are rhetorically effective because it inflicts feelings of guilt upon the audience by reminding them of how King is writing this letter from a jail cell that he does not belong in. By stating “…it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell…,” King concludes by connecting back to how he opened, which was by reminding his audience where he is writing this letter from. There is also an implied mockery in the way King concludes because by reminding them that he is in jail and they are not, he emphasizes how he has put in the effort to make a change and has fought for justice while they have lived cowardly and hid behind their erroneous beliefs. In the penultimate paragraph, King asks his audience of clergymen and God for forgiveness if he has stated anything incorrect, which establishes his credibility as someone who has the ability to own up to his mistakes, even if his mistakes come with good intentions. Finally, King concludes with a form of figurative language which is rhetorically effective because he unites himself with his audience in the shared desire of having a peaceful and progressive future for their nation.

Segregation is the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things. Segregation has been a prominent problem in America dating back to the early 18th century. This was because some believed that black and white people were incapable of coexisting. During the early 1900s, some southern states presented black coded and Jim crow laws. These laws separated black and white people and imported laws that’s prevent black people from certain everyday things. A nonviolence moment started by a man named Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther sought to raise public consciousness of racism, and to end racial discrimination and segregation in the United States. In 1963, Martin Luther was arrested and sent to jail for participating in a nonviolent demonstration. He wrote a long letter following his imprisonment, which was his response to a public statement of concerns and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the south. Martin Luther King Jr. letter targets Americans all around the country, specifically, white political and religious leaders. King argues that local government shouldn’t be left to their own devices. People have a moral obligation to stand up to unjust laws.

To begin, Martin Luther king Jr. gets the attention of Americans and leaders by presenting the argument that government reformation needs to take place and that movement starts with the people. Martin Luther King Jr. begins by stating that person or group of people has criticized his actions, saying they were “unwise and untimely”. King expresses his opinion saying that he has no time to comment on every criticism that he gets and that if did he wouldn’t get work done. King starts the letter this way because he wants to reveal the underlying meaning that, he does not care what people say and that he will continue to fight. He then goes into the reason he came to Birmingham, because the clergyman state that he is an “outsider”. Instead of fighting the clergy men and belittling them, King calls the clergymen people of “genuine goodwill” and that he acknowledges and understands the sincerity of their concern. King does this to show his audience that he truly a nonviolent person. He continues to inform his critics that he was invited to Birmingham as a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and to support the African American fight for civil rights. Beyond that, explaining that a root of injustice has sprouted in Birmingham and like other early Christian leaders, he is called to aid. King then rebuts his critics argument that segregation laws should be fought in court and not as public displays. He says that direct action is the only way they can force the white majority to confront racism and enter into dialogue. Beyond responding directly to the criticism directed from the clergymen, king uses his letter to explain further judgments. He explains the disappointment he has for white moderates and that their actions have the same effects as the Ku Klux Klan. He condemns the fact that white moderates claim to support his mission but, have no intention to get involved. King further extends his criticism to the leadership of the white church for enlisting a “status quo”. He expresses his disappointment of the church, as an institution that once “transformed the mores of society”. He laments the fact that the church has fallen from early Christian origin and has become “a social club” rather than a lack of inspiration for people. King then closes his letter on a hopeful note, he expresses his belief that African Americans will soon achieve the freedom and quality they are fighting for.

Therefore, Martin Luther King Jr uses his power of speech to target the audience of everyday people and religious leaders on the issue of social and political reform. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail” presents the argument that government reformation needs to take place and that movement starts with the people. King begins his letter by complimenting his critics which establishes a tone rational dialogue. This is an important statement that King presented because white authorities attempted to portray the protestors as law breakers and extremists. King then turns to his point to point rebuttal of the criticisms presented against him. Kings responded with complete confidence in his actions, stating that he was at the right place at the right time and that his actions were necessary. As a Baptist minister responding to clergymen, King uses his in-depth knowledge of the bible and history of the church. He knows that comparing the protestors to the early Christian gives his critics the role of enemies of freedom. While his critics have expressed concern about his behavior, King focuses on the systemic racism that white authorities have ignored. He then emphasizes that protests are necessary action based on the African American current social and political conditions. King goes into detail about the steps have gone into his decision to protest and again focusing on the failing of white authorities. King asserts that the goal of the protests is to create an atmosphere of discomfort for whites thus creating the pressure needed to spark change. King now focuses on the distinction between law and justice, calling into question the validity of the laws he has broken. He is attempting to engage in dialogue with his fellow clergymen, reminding his readers that religious moral codes should be placed above political laws. King establishes that segregation is immoral. Ultimately, Martin Luther King Jr. describes that the white moderates as hypocritical and condescending towards African Americans. He argues that they agree on the surface with their overall goal of freedom and equality but are unwilling to take any further steps to fulfill them. He ends his argument that the role of action, in the form of nonviolent, as the only way of making change.

Futhermore, Martin Luther uses the argument for the need of social and political reform to attract the audience of people and religious leaders. He pulls in his audience by appealing to ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos is the use of credibility and trust. In Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” his credibility and trust is presented to show that he is a reliable and trusted public figure and that his argument should not be taken lightly.

Throughout the period of time where African Americans were quoted as being “separate yet equal” to their white counterparts, many of the equality did not seems to exist. Prevalent examples are seen in the south, especially in Birmingham, Alabama with Rosa Parks and the bus incident. Or perhaps mentioning the time a group known as the Freedom Riders were arrested for their peaceful protest against the bus system. Many African Americans were hopeless for change, yet they would soon to be inspired. April 12th, 1963: Dr. Martin Luther Dr. King was arrested for his protests and put in a Birmingham Jail, to where he would later write a letter in response to another letter titled “A Call for Unity”, In this letter, Dr. King is criticized by clergymen for his decision to protest for civil rights rather than through the court system. Though the protest were seen as calm and peaceful, the clergymen believed them to be useless and that the court system would be a better approach. In Dr. King’s own letter, he responds directly toward the clergymen, speaking on racism and injustices happening towards the Black community and why he decided that protesting seemed like the only way for change to exist. Dr. King uses many different rhetorical devices such as all appeals in the rhetorical triangle those being logos, pathos and ethos. Each being able to appeal to those reading the letter in different ways because though he wanted to respond to the clergymen, he knew that a larger audience would read his publication and thus made clear points toward the previously mentioned issue on racism and discrimination.

In the letter, Dr. King appeals logos to justify the civil right movement activity in which he appeals the most often compared to the others. He often appeals to facts mostly contained around unjust laws and often posing a question of when a law is unjust or not. One early example is when he references his lack of response to most criticism aimed at him in which he says “If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work.”. The appeal is clear as it is almost certain that a man with Dr. King’s polarizing fame would evidently receive many responses and letters from both his supporters and adversaries. Dr. King appeals in such a way to strength that his reason for answering to clergymen was not an act of anger or bickering but instead to answer the questions of men ‘concerned’ for the city of Birmingham. Beginning his letter with this surely strength his message across the letter and sets the tone for his latter statements. Another one that catches the attention of the reader is when Dr. King speaks on why he insists on protests rather than court appeals. He says: “The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” He appeals to logos as he mentions that humanity has always seemed to change perspectives or plans when encountering an act that could cause panic or stress so he had hoped a similar instance would occur.

Emotion is a large factor in many of Dr. King’s actions, and so it is to no surprise that his letter is littered with appeals to pathos. Particularly one that I favor is one relatively in the middle of the letter. Dr. King states “In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure”. This appeals to pathos because Dr. King is not from Birmingham or even Alabama, yet he came and planned protest in hopes that the higher power White community would feel at least moved enough to garner potential change in the judicial system, showing his passion towards equality. Dr. King also has a large appeal to emotion near the end where he motivates his supporters who would surely read his letter when he says, “For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton Dr. King; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation – and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail.” Here, Dr. King points towards the heart and determination of his people who were at their lowest in morality and happiness during slavery yet pushed through until it was abolished that inevitably they would push past the discrimination and segregations put on them. Many of Dr. King’s speeches or written word contain powerful and moving messages and his letter is no different.

Moving forward, Dr. King would continue his appeals in his letter and ethos in no exception. He often references philosophical figures and challenges perspectives in his appeals to ethos, such his reference to rebellion of the early United States when he states, “In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.”. This appeals to ethos as the Boston Tea Party is an important event in American history as it would set the groundwork for the fight for independence and made the United States what it is today. He also mentions white activist who are rooting for Dr. King’s ideals. He states: “I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some – such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle – have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms.” He uses the reputation of this relatively known white activist as a way to open the eyes of the clergymen who downplay Dr. King’s actions by the appealing to ethos.

All in all, Dr. King’s “A Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written because felt it was necessary to emphasis why protesting was his choice to the clergymen who believed Dr. King’s actions were wrong. It also served to speak out towards racism and discrimination and show out it is a current issue. In his letter, he is able to appeal to logic, emotion and even reputation in order to answer the question on why he chooses to fight back the way he does and even to encourage his followers to continue to push forward regardless of the animosity and hate they would receive. King is without question a genius in his own regard as he created a piece that is moving but one in which all the references and appeals were made all through prior knowledge. The letter itself would soon create a new wave of followers and would start a new push for civil rights, and King would soon get what he pushed so hard for.