Category: Letter from Birmingham Jail

“A letter from Birmingham jail” is an argumentative response written by Martin Luther King Jr. to eight white religious leaders of the south in 1962. This was the time when segregation against negroes was at its peak. King was the president of Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He was arrested and sent to jail for engaging in a non-violent campaign against segregation in Birmingham. Despite of being praised for having such good deeds, his actions were criticized and considered ‘unwise and untimely’. Instead of being angry towards his opposers, he was very polite towards them in the whole letter. He considered his opposers as ‘brothers’ and ‘men of genuine good will’ instead of enemies.

In this response, he added all the details of the plan in order to justify his position and tell the opposers reasons behind all his actions. King wrote this letter very smoothly. He criticized each remark of his opposers in a very detailed manner, explaining the reasons and intentions behind every action. To each blame, he gave instances from the past and compared them to his situation. Several times in this letter, he had used method of pathos to prove his point, making readers more engaged in his words, which ultimately led them to be more concerned about the issue. Moreover, he mentioned many notable personalities in order to set a basis for the aim of his writing. For instance, he compared himself to Apostle Paul, who set out on a journey to convey the message of Christianity all over Greece and Roman. He also specified various other prominent personalities like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, John Bunyan, Martin Luther, and even Jesus Christ in his letter. He gave many hypothetical emotional situations which helped to persuade readers to stick to his side and develop a sense of sympathy in their minds for black people. He gave examples of poverty and ill treatment of negroes. He used a lot of metaphors to support his argument. For instance, he quoted an ‘old black woman’ who states that her feet are tired, but her soul is at rest. He mentioned that though the elderly woman is uneducated, she knows her cause of suffering is because of the inequity and discrimination in society. He gave the example of Hitler and Hungarian fighters to bring the concept of just and unjust laws. He gained much trust of his readers by proving that he would always be there against any injustice in the society, even if it requires him to break the ‘unjust’ laws. He had an awesome credibility in his words to make the readers believe his point.

At the end of this letter, he claimed that the letter could be much shorter if he would have written it sitting on a comfortable desk rather than sitting alone for days in monotony of a narrow jail cell where he had nothing to do. This gives the readers a glimpse of how bad his situation was, making them feel concerned about him and helped in forming an unbreakable trust in their minds for him. From his whole argument, I felt that King is a man of very gentle and selfless nature. He was ready to give up everything to fight against injustice. For the sake of black community, he went to jail and tolerated the ill treatment and brutality of police officers. He had a great hand in providing freedom and equality to the whole black community. He justified his position by completing all the aspects and blames his opposers had for him. He had a very good hold on this letter. From the starting to ending, his tone changes from polite to emotional and then a little angry.

Through his argument, he built up blind trust in the hearts of readers. He covered everything in it from the conditions of black people, challenges he faced while fighting for equality, what could be the outcomes if there will not be any action taken on the issue to his condition on the day of writing the letter. All the religions believe that discrimination is an insult to god. But still, some people think that treating other people as inferior is their tradition and by considering themselves as a superior group, they could have a higher position in the society. Even though, government has made many rules against discrimination and now discrimination is totally illegal, but deep inside we all know that this social evil still exists in the society. We still see examples of discrimination in our daily lives not only on basis of color, but also due to religion, caste, race, and even languages. America is not the only country in the world facing this problem.

In some Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, the condition is even more horrible. These countries face discrimination not only because of religion or caste, but also on basis of gender. Women are oppressed in these countries and female gender is still considered inferior as compared to males. Women are not given equal opportunities. Most of the families don’t allow girls to go to school and pursue a career. Rate of illiteracy of women is very high in these countries. Discrimination on basis of caste and religion in these countries even worse. Most of these countries even got divided on basis of religion. Even though all these nations promote secularism, but this social evil is still struck in the society and it is not going to leave until all the citizens want it to do so. It is against the laws of humanity to discriminate a person on any basis. At last, Discrimination is the major problem faced by most countries of the world. It will not leave the society until we want it to.

This problem can only be solved if we all come forward and unite to fight against it. Kofi Annan once said, “We may belong to different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race”. We all need to understand that there is only one caste – the caste of humanity, only one religion – the religion of love and only one language – the language of heart.

While Martin Luther King’s protests, which were projected and held for logical reasons, against white supremacists helped him soar to national notoriety, Malcolm Little, before Malcom X, addressed the United States about Islam and encouraged the people to let go of the thought that all whites were their enemies and prepare themselves for a war ahead of them. Both men talked about similar issues, however their strategies for success and thoughts regarding equal opportunity contrasted in a number of ways. Despite the fact that their “people” were distinctive, Martin had the Southern group of people, like the country outskirts, as opposed to Malcolm’s Northern and Western urban modern group. X wanted to gain the utmost respect from the white’s, projecting somewhat of a hardcore dialogue, regardless of Martins selection of Christianity dialogue.

Both of these astonishingly influetnial civil rights activists, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. had some remarkably huge contrasts in their backgrounds and techniques of communication in their messages of equality. The differences in their earlier ways of living are to a great extent to fault for their different approaches towards their view of racism in the United States. Brought up in a working class, pleasant home and, as his Nobel Prize life story expresses, the middle child, Kings environment was education beneficial, regardless of its condition. MLK graduated high school at 15 as valedictorian, then at that point went to school and got a Bachelor of Divinity degree. He immediately went back to school to later receive a Doctorate of Ph. D also. After he finished up with school, at age 24, King moved to Montgomery, Alabama, to wind up a Pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church (‘Nobel Peace Prize’). Martin had the material means and the social help to build up a whole learned program that he could begin to execute at 26 years old, even during the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. Undoubtedly, King’s initiative and hypothesis kept on expanding through his profession, yet he remained a accustomed scholar, incorporated within the structure of the church. Malcolm was a natural. He needed to produce an independent logic from the intertwined of road smarts, jail libraries, and undying interest. His hypothesis was manufactured by the justs of training. In light of the fact that the desegregated and the Civil Rights Movement vowed that segregation was legal by the guidelines and standards of the Southern states and cities, Dr. King had the ability to refresh the minds of everyone that legality doesn’t make anything ethically right.

On the other hand, Malcolm X was naturally introduced to an extremely poor and deprived of home. Malcolm had nine brothers and sisters, three of his brothers being murdered by white men. The Ku Klux Klan lynched Malcolm’s uncle and murdered his dad before he was six years old. Not long after these relative passing’s, Malcolm’s mom had a mental meltdown and was sent to a mental institution. Malcolm X at that point spent whatever was left of his youth in foster care. Smashed and crushed, he dropped out of school after a teacher made a remark about his career not succeeding as a lawyer and wound up included with the ‘wrong kind of crowd,’ beginning to steal and do drugs. He was caught and had to go to jail. During his time away, Malcolm self-educated and converted over to Islam. He joined the religious association the Nation of Islam, drove by Elijah Muhammad. When he was paroled, Malcolm was a devoted supporter and had legitimately changed his surname from ‘Little’ to ‘X,’ since he considered ‘Nearly nothing’ a ‘slave’ name. Changing his name signified the start of a fresh era. This fresh era was the time when both X and King would start to express their opinions on race and equality. Malcolm was haunted by his childhood so he wanted to make sure the message he preached came to life. Malcolm’s concept of genuine equity was defiant, negative and furious. He embraced separatist philosophies and felt that peacefulness and integration were traps that white individuals elevated to keep blacks in their place. MLK’S methods of insight couldn’t have been more unexpected. He trusted that through hard work, solid authority and peacefulness, blacks could accomplish full equality with whites. King encouraged all individuals from the black community to win their real place as equals with dignity and high moral standards, which he conveyed through his incredibly famous speeches.

As we learned inserts in this course from both leaders, MLK’s letter from the Birmingham Jail and Malcom X’s speech at the second OAAU were and is still legendary in history. It is critical now to figure out what Malcolm X implied by individuals of African decent. In the Autobiography of Malcolm X he alludes to Hispanics as Spanish Negros. He regularly discussed effort to the Spanish Negro people group. In this way, maybe all minorities, for example, Hispanics and even Native Americans may well be a piece of OAAU if given the opportunity. Another group I feel he would have tried to incorporate were the Native Americans.

Martin Luther King Jr. composed the ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail,’ after a shameful proposition made by eight white clergymen while he was entering Alabama. Their argument was that no Negro ‘outsider’ should be permitted to set up or lead any protest and should leave them up to their nearby neighborhoods. King answered straightforwardly to the clergymen, but used religious connections to likewise have his voice heard in the general society. This time permitted him the capacity to react wholeheartedly to this critical oppressing. In his counter argument, King deliberately used logical evidence, enthusiastic angles and great intentions to display his point of view to the clergymen. What occurred in the city of Birmingham had more extensive consequences than anything King wrote from that jail. This letter may have had a more significant impact on freedom struggles way beyond the United States.

Both Malcolm X and King spread their perspectives through decisive, hard-hitting, effective speeches. All things considered, their expectations were conveyed in various styles and purposes. As a persuasive speaker, King ventured to every part of the nation, giving speeches that propelled the blacks and whites to live in racial agreement. He generally seemed positive, reasonable, and optimistic while lecturing his ideas. These characteristics are obvious in King’s most cited line, ‘I have a fantasy that my four little kids will one day live in a country where they won’t be judged by the shade of their skin yet by the substance of their character’. Malcolm X, be that as it may, was known as a fanatic. For a significant part of the time that he spent as an Islamic pastor, he addressed about nonconformity amongst blacks and whites. He likewise lectured about Black Nationalism and even ‘black excellence.’ Malcolm X’s speeches were conveyed in a progressive and stimulating tone which could prompt his audience members to despise white America. Together, King and Malcolm X advanced honor for one’s history and learning about one’s way of life as the establishment for equality.

Despite the fact that distinctive in their talking styles and meaning of balance, one can’t deny that both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. were two of the most compelling and effective social equality activists of the twentieth century. They are recognized as saints who battled for the reason for Black America, and who offered plan to their people during what the blacks believed back then was a war. They are recognized as men who endeavored to impart quality and energy to their people with the goal that they could beat all the scorn that comprised them. At last, they are recognized as people who were relatively revolutionary and who passed on rashly, working for an objective yet to be accomplished: correspondence and equity among all races. That these two figures, who exemplified two distinct streams of the Black Freedom development, met just once is striking. In the ten years between these dates much had changed with the two men. In any case, their floods of black awareness and political activity proceeded to both wander and join. Regardless of their apparent disparity, Malcolm and Martin’s union is the fundamental condition for understanding the Black Freedom Movement and socio-political battle as a rule, similarly as it was in the wild circumstances when these two civil rights activists were killed.

Works Cited

1. “Analysis: Founding of the Organization of Afro – American Unity.” Black Leadership Analysis, 19 May 2017, blackleaderanalysis.com/2017/05/19/analysis-founding-of-the-organization-of-afro-american-unity/.
2. “Malcolm X: A Tribute to a Fallen Warrior Ten Years after His Death | Opinion.” The Harvard Crimson, www.thecrimson.com/article/1975/2/18/malcolm-x-a-tribute-to-a/.
3. “Meeting in the Middle: The Forgotten Relationship of Malcolm X and MLK Jr.” IHistory, 18 Dec. 2015, www.ihistory.co/meeting-in-the-middle-the-forgotten-relationship-of-malcolm-x-and-mlk-jr/.

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of USA’s most famous civil rights activists’ leader. He was arrested and imprisoned for protesting the harsh treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. While in jail, he decided to write a letter that answered the concerns of the white religious clergymen. His letter gives a reason to why he is in Alabama, his reasons for breaking the law, his disappointment in the church and finally he hopes that racial prejudice will end and there will be mutual understanding between the two communities. In his letter, Martin Luther King Jr. effectively uses logos, ethos and pathos to persuade his audience.

In his letter, Martin starts by explaining his reasons for being in Birmingham. Seeing He is the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he was called by the affiliate to engage in a non-violent action program. He is needed to be in Birmingham since there are injustices and he is responding to his Macedonian call. While in Atlanta, he can’t ignore the injustices since injustice anywhere is a threat to society. King goes on to chastise his critics for failing to recognize the reason for the black demonstrations. He insightfully elucidates why they cannot wait any longer for freedom to be granted. They have waited for 340 years anticipating, hoping and praying for their constitutional and God given rights and each time they have been told to wait. He proceeds to explain the wait is over. He adds occasionally freedom is never granted, the oppressed have to demand for it. He reminds them of the 1954 Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw segregation in public schools. They are demonstrating since it’s still a huge predicament yet when they protest, they are arrested for fighting. He expresses how disappointed he is with is with the church for not supporting them during the bus protest in Montgomery. The white ministers who are supposed to be by their side through thick and thin turned out to be outright opponents. He argued it is ironical for the church to urge it congregation to comply with desegregation because it’s the law rather than telling them to do so because it’s morally right. Lastly, the church blatantly chose to ignore the racial and economic injustice claiming they were social issues with which the church has no concern with. He concludes his letter hoping that the racial prejudice will end and a new era will be born.

King uses rhetorical appeals to show his credibility, to explain various issues and to express his emotions on racial prejudice. He uses ethos to establish himself as credible person and to show he had a say on the issue of racial prejudice. He starts his letter by addressing the clergymen as “fellow” to show they are on the same level and the white clergymen were no better than him despite the fact that he was in jail. Because he is president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he is called by an affiliate to engage in demonstrations against racial prejudice. His position of being president of an organization enables him to have wisdom and knowledge on how to deal with the matter at hand. He likens himself to Paul who was a Biblical character who was called upon to respond to the Macedonian call of aid.

In addition, King uses logos to explain he is in Birmingham because there is in injustice. He explains he can’t sit idly in Atlanta and not care because injustice triggers the spread of injustice to areas which are peaceful. He explains why use of nonviolent action was appropriate and he argues that nonviolent actions brings about some tension since it magnifies the issue at hand and the community cannot afford to disregard it. He expresses how saddened he is by the fact that the white moderate does not understand that the Negroes are on the path of restoring themselves. Demonstrations are an important step for the restoration of the black man because they are fighting for what is rightfully theirs. By them demonstrating they are not creating tension they are bringing out the tension that is already within the community. To really get to his audience he likens the tension to a boil that is always covered for the wound to heal some light and air need to be shed upon it for it to heal quickly. King disagrees with a white brother who thinks that black are in too much of a hurry. He elucidates how people with bad intentions have used their time effectively compared to people of good intentions. He uses that to show how they have been told to keep waiting and indeed they have waited but nothing has changed whereas the black people failed to demand for their rights and had to wait for so many years for justice to be served. They can’t afford to wait any longer and for any progress to happen, it must be coupled up with a lot of effort and waiting for the right time will only prolong this process.

King uses pathos to appeal to the human emotions when he’s explaining how brutal police officers were with his fellow black people. He says “but when you’ve seen how vicious mobs lynch mothers and father sat will and drown your sisters, when you Negro brothers suffering in poverty in the midst of an affluent society”. He creates an imagery of how bad and ugly the situation is. It makes the audience feel the emotion and the pain of the black community. How can a child watch their parents being beaten by police officers and yet the parent is the ones supposed to protect them? He shows how ironical it is when the society is flourishing yet the black community is stuck in poverty. It is especially sad how a parent lacks an answer for why white people are mean. A parents wish is to protect their children from any danger, pain or situation however, if a child can already tell that a white child detests them, it calls upon for change.

In conclusion it is evident King was a passionate with his work. This is shown when he takes the extra step of writing the letter while in jail. He explains thoroughly in a manner that is warm and can appeal to the human emotion. His hope was for the world to be free of racism, we are not yet there; but we soldier on!

Throughout our country’s history, the United States of America has faced problems within our nation with human rights. Of course, nowadays it is less of an issue, but it is still happening all around us, and it doesn’t make it less of a problem. In the era of segregation, 1984, there were two inspirational leaders, Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X, who changed and moved many African American lives. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and the speech “The Ballot or the Bullet,’ both Mr. King and Malcom X speak to their audience about the importance of justice, by talking about civil rights and addressing the inequality. Despite the two having completely different audience they share many similarities and differences. In both texts Dr. King and Malcolm X use rhetorical devices such as: tone, repetition and restatement. They use tone to express the importance of their ideas, repetition to show the importance of their logic, restatement to express their ideas.

Although Dr. King and Malcom X were both fighting for equal rights, something that set the two apart was their style of approach and their tone used throughout their texts. Tone was an important rhetorical device that was used in both texts. In Dr. Kings letter he responds to the clergy men by addressing his concerns calmly. Dr. King didn’t believe in violence, he believed in peaceful protest. He continues by showing the clergy men that he is a well-educated man with his choice of words. In his letter he mentioned, “Since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticism are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” (Letter from a Birmingham Jail) Malcom X’s tone was quite different. His speech went in an opposite direction from Dr. King’s. From the get-go Malcom X is assertive and outspoken. He opens his speech with “Mr. Moderator, brother Lomax, Brothers and sisters, friends and enemies” (Ballot or The Bullet) Malcom X was not afraid to say what came to his mind. Although he was bold and assertive, his words had powerful affects. As he spoke to his people, you could feel the power and pain in his words. He was tired of broken promises and believed that Mr. Kings peaceful protest weren’t doing any good. Malcom X sounded as if he was mocking Dr. King by saying, “You talk about a march on Washington in 1963” (Ballot or the Bullet) or “this time they’re not going like they went last year. They’re not going to sing “We Shall Overcome.” (Ballot or the Bullet)

Dr. King and Malcom X had two completely Tons, but one thing they had in common was the use of repetition. Repetition is the use of the same words or phrases. They used repetition a lot to throughout their texts to get their point across and emphasize the importance of what they are trying to fight for. Dr. King uses the word “just” and “unjust”. He helps make the clergy men understand the distinction between both words. He continues by explaining to the Clergy men that, “A just law is a manmade 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.” (Letter from Birmingham jail) For example, it’s wrong to steal and to commit a murder, but it wasn’t wrong to enslave innocent people. Malcom X favorite rhetorical device to use was Repetition. Like his tittle “Ballot or the Bullet.” He mentions it throughout his speech to show the importance of the term “Ballot or the Bullet”. He continues by saying “Let it be the ballot or the bullet” “Let him know that it must be the ballot or the bullet.” The term is meant to send a message to the America Government, warning them that African Americans are willing to fight back until they are treated equally and given the right to vote.

They were both known for repeating the same phrase or idea in their texts, but another rhetorical device they both used was restatement. They tried to express the same idea in different words. The reasoning for restatement was to attach their audience and get them thinking. It was meant to persuade and have them view things in a different perspective. Dr. Kings uses restatement by saying, “As the weeks and months unfolded, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. The signs remained. As in so many experiences of the past, we were confronted with blasted hopes, and the dark shadow of a deep disappointment settled upon us.” (Letter from Birmingham Jail) Dr. King explains the same concept of broken promises, but in different ideas by comparing blasted hopes to the broken promises, to having to settle with disappointment once more. Malcom X uses restatement a lot just like he used repetition very often in his speech. He makes a comment, saying, “it’ll be the ballot, or it will be the bullet, it’ll be liberty, or it’ll be death, and if you are not ready to pay the price don’t use the word freedom in your vocabulary.” (Ballot or The Bullet) As he goes on with his speech you continue to hear “The Ballot or The Bullet”. He is pushing towards the same idea, but just rephrasing his statement to dramatize on his idea. If you don’t fight for what you want, did you really want it in the first place.

Although Dr. King and Malcom X did not believe in one another’s philosophy. They were both very good at persuading their audience. They used tone to convey a message, restatement to connect with their audience and express the same ideas, but in different words to keep the audience connected, and lastly, repetition. Repetition was used to dramatize specific words or phrases so it can stick in the mind of those they are speaking to. They both have changed many African American lives and helped gain civil rights.

Perhaps it was all the preachin’. Perhaps it was all the schoolin’. Whatever it was, Dr. Lord knew how to talk the you-realize what out of discourses. There’s a smidgen of everything in ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’: Dr. Lord makes an intrigue to his perusers’ hearts and heads while suggesting the ethical specialist of the Christian convention, American standards, and the aggregate enduring of the African American community. Beside presenting himself as the leader of the SCLC, Dr. Lord doesn’t utilize ethos expressly. He doesn’t profess to be the first specialist on Jesus or the best political strategist ever, for example. Be that as it may, his moral standing is suggested by the manner in which he outlines his contention and asserts some authority on an ethical truth higher than neighborhood laws and statutes. He out-Christians his Christian pundits. He considers America’s most noteworthy social beliefs important. He likewise recognizes the genuineness and status of the ministers who composed the letter he’s reacting to, regarding their validity as men of cooperative attitude who are on the whole learned about Bible lessons.

Although a significant number of Dr. Ruler’s different addresses and works were explicitly moored on offers to feeling and motivation, the real snapshots of poignancy in ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ come in the parts about the enduring of the African American people group. All together for MLK’s contention to bode well, you need to comprehend why the circumstance is uncalled for. So he gives a distinctive picture of what Black Americans need to experience in the isolated South. This bit truly gets to the core of any parent—or any individual who adores kids, truly. By giving this sort of model, Dr. Ruler is permitting white individuals a very relatable look into the torment of the Black people group. Similarly, he proceeds to offer a look into the manner in which the criminal equity framework treated African Americans.

In 1969, Frederick Rogers (‘Mr. Rogers’) went before the U.S. senate to safeguard an allow to keep PBS- – and his show- – on TV. His show had recently had a financial plan of $6,000. In the wake of making his contention and singing a melody to U.S. congressperson accountable for the gathering, he left with 20 million dollars for PBS and his show. We made a hundred projects for EEN, the Eastern Educational Network, and after that when the cash ran out, individuals in Boston and Pittsburgh and Chicago all went to the fore and said we must have a greater amount of this area articulation of consideration. Also, this is the thing that – This is the thing that I give. I give a statement of consideration consistently to every tyke, to enable him to understand that he is interesting. I end the program by saying, ‘You’ve made this day an uncommon day, by simply your being you. There’s no individual in the entire world like you, and I like you, simply the manner in which you are.’ And I feel that on the off chance that we in open TV can just clarify that sentiments are mentionable and reasonable, we will have completed an incredible administration for emotional well-being.

In a society where there are oppressed, there are also the other side who feel they are not being oppressed at all. Therefore, for the oppressed, what they perceive as actions done for the future greater good, is extremely different from the unoppressed view. From the “Birmingham letter” by martin Luther King Jr in 1963, an action done so innocently for the benefit of achieving ones right turns out to seen as a really controversial issue that sparks up a whole debate and seen as terribly wrong by the other individuals in the same society.

During this time in period, Alabama was experiencing great extents of racism. The supreme court had passed a law in 1954 that castigated the segregation of public schools, public toilets and public restaurants. But years later it was still happening. It is these kinds of happenings that made martin Luther and other activists take to the streets and start the project c campaign, famously known as ‘The Birmingham ‘campaign. This marked the ultimate start of City-hall marches, counter sit-in during lunch and downtown boycott to protest against the constant segregation laws experienced in the city.

This peaceful demonstration that went on for almost a month was met with violent attacks from the police. Police dogs and high-pressure horses were released onto the peaceful protestants, women and children alike. This protest was among the greatest protests that made quite an impact on the American civil rights movements and their century long fight to ‘freedom’

Following these events, eight clergy men took it upon themselves to issue a public statement that was indirectly sending a message to Martin Luther; “a call for unity”. They considered the state of Alabama, Birmingham, their ‘town’ and they saw Luther as an outsider who was out to disrupt, they peace, common sense, law and order. Any racial problems faced in Alabama should not be of his concern at all. They saw the peaceful demonstrations as unwise, uncalled for, and quite untimely. “We further strongly urge our own Negro community to withdraw support from these demonstrations,” (King.1992) is what they wrote. This statement is what prompted Luther to respond since he rarely gave responses to people who criticized his civil rights activism. This statement was the exact type if injustice that he was protesting against. He wanted to eradicate the, people in power hijacking what should be common sense to all and making them common to only themselves since they are in power. He was therefore compelled to respond by writing the ‘Birmingham letter’ and addressing these eight clergy men publicly.

What followed ‘the Birmingham’ campaign in May 1963 was a victory that saw the abolition of ‘white only’ and ‘black only’ sings from most of the drinking joints, restaurants and rest room in Birmingham and the demonstrators who were jailed were released. Over the next few months desegregation process was still undergoing and the segregationists didn’t take it well since they launched attacks on the black community like the bombing that killed four girls in the Baptist church.

Mr. Luther was a man tired of waiting on a future that will not come. He had realized to achieve the future they have always yearned for; they were the ones to make the difference (Kern-Foxworth.1992). They needed to create they wanted to see. In his letter Luther is of the idea that no one living anywhere in the united states should be considered an outsider. Provincial logistics should not stop African American from fighting for any injustice done anywhere within the united states, since the injustice that will happen anywhere within the states will ultimately cause mutual injustice everywhere in the states. This makes it evident that everyone was to be mutually responsible in the fight against segregation without having to be brainwashed into believing that it is not in their province that the injustice is happening or into postponing the fight for justice any further.

For many years, after the supreme court passed the law castigating segregation, nothing changed much since the segregationist never obeyed the rule. Black people waited for years hoping that things will ultimately change in the long run, however, when they had the last piece of patience, they had in them, a rebellion started. Luther categorically brings to the clergy men’s attention on how long they have waited for the fulfillment of the promises made and how the white men power structure was a contributing factor to the protests.

In the courts, blacks have taken their cases to be solved against white men. These cases have been dragged for so long and many of them went unsolved. This unjust treatment is why blacks could not afford to wait any longer just to achieve nothing in return. Black leaders were expected to engage and first sought out issues with the city fathers before proceeding to do anything, the city fathers however, always refused to engage or gave a promise to engage and failed to in negotiations giving them more reason to stop waiting and take action.

The African American community in the united states of America, has made several steps in their fight against racism (Johnson.2007). It is through taking action and coming out in large numbers, ready and willing to fight for what they believe in that saw America have a first black president. Barrack Obama made it to the white house because blacks knew this is what they have been fighting for, and they had waited long enough in able to achieve this. However, it is not in totality that one can say that there is no racism still experienced in the US even after having a black man rule the country for two terms straight. African Americans are still being brutalized by the police in the streets every day. Like the case of Antwon Rose Jr, a 17-year-old, unarmed black male man was killed in Pittsburgh by a police officer as he was fleeing from a car that was stopped by a police officer (Nicholson‐Crotty.et al 2017). It is therefore important for the African American community not to get comfortable, but still keep the resilience in fighting for their rights and what they believe in, giving no one authority to infringe on their rights or postponed the fight for their right to a later period.

References

1. King Jr, M. L. (1992). Letter from Birmingham jail. UC Davis L. Rev., 26, 835.
2. Kern-Foxworth, M. (1992). Martin Luther King Jr.: Minister, civil rights activist, and public opinion leader. Public Relations Review, 18(3), 287-296.
3. Johnson, D. (2007). Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 Birmingham campaign as image event. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 10(1), 1-25.
4. Nicholson‐Crotty, S., Nicholson‐Crotty, J., & Fernandez, S. (2017). Will more black cops matter? Officer race and police‐involved homicides of black citizens. Public Administration Review, 77(2), 206-216.

In 1963 prisoner Martin Luther King Jr. was limited to a Birmingham Alabama city cell. Numerous ministers saw King’s activities as ‘imprudent and less than ideal’. It was exceptionally extraordinary that King even reacted to the announcements made about his developments or words, yet King felt enabled to answer these announcements. Dr. Ruler utilized many contention systems to build Letter from Birmingham Jail. This letter connected with not exclusively the priests yet to the world to give a clarification for his activities, and confirm that what he did was once absolutely basic and perfect timing.Birmingham as of now used to be a degenerate territory and seeing numerous difficulties. In the letter, the ruler clarified that it was at one time his commitment to be in the city. He and numerous others needed to get to the base of these chances and achieve this by the method of peaceful activity. This included sit-down-ins, dissent walks, and addresses for each body to hear. This used to be arranged through the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This organization used to be arranged in each southern state. Albeit tranquil, others were captured for picketing, walking, and boycotting.

Dr. King’s masterful use of rhetoric throughout his Letter from Birmingham Jail not only engaged the ministers, but also resonated with people around the world, providing a profound explanation for his actions and emphasizing the criticality and timeliness of his cause.

A significant number of these activists like King simply wanted to make a trade for their people. King utilized endless sorts of advances and contention to show his part of the story in the letter. To make fascination in a group of people, one for the most part utilizes intelligent intrigue or logos. ‘The answer lies in the reality that there are two sorts of laws: just and shameful (p.448).’ He snatches the peruser’s enthusiasm with reality. One may furthermore mistake this declaration for a misrepresentation, anyway the announcement is an honest rationale. This structure of rationale states information that guides a rule and can be an eye-opener to any person in the wake of perusing. For example, the story of Adolf Hitler. ‘We always remember about that the whole Adolf Hitler did in Germany used to be ‘lawful’ and everything the Hungarian opportunity warriors did in Hungary was ‘illicit.’ It was once ‘unlawful’ to asset and solace a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Because Hitler was once matchless quality, the entire part that he did was once not really something exact for his kin. ‘All things considered, I am certain that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have helped and consoled my Jewish siblings.” If nowadays I lived in a Communist USA the spot positive ideas dear to the Christian conviction are stifled, I would clearly support ignoring that nation’s antireligious laws.’ King guessed that he would do whatever for his siblings and sisters. He kept to his promise and his persona would in no way, shape, or form change. For his kindred men to have turned angles on him and their siblings, recommends a substitute of character.

He additionally utilizes passionate charm with the guide of convincing perusers through their emotions (pathos). King utilizes this charm to attempt to get perusers to clearly observe the spot he is in and how he feels in the area he is in. In his first sentence at the beginning of the letter, he bodes well compassion toward him, since he says ‘While obliged directly here in the Birmingham city prison, I arrived all through your present declaration calling my present exercises ‘impulsive and inauspicious.’ He allows the perusers to perceive what conditions he is living in and how a ton of spare time he needed to allow him to peruse the letters. It additionally demonstrated how he felt about what they expressed about him in the letter. Emotion is a path for any person to viably show how an author feels. , ‘Maybe it is simple for those who have never felt the stinging darts of isolation to state, ‘Pause.’ But when you have seen horrendous hordes lynch your moms and fathers freely and suffocate your sisters and siblings at impulse; when you have seen abhor packed police officers revile, kick and even slaughter your dark siblings and sisters; when you see the enormous majority of your twenty million Negro siblings covering in an airtight cage of neediness amidst a well-to-do society (p. 448).’ He communicated that these individuals mean such a great amount to him and gives a significant number of the thinking that the priests stood amazed eventually by the letter. two Which was once useful in alluring the perusers’ feel of emotion.

The setting up of the letter begins with King Addressing the individuals who remarked on his activities. ‘My Dear Fellow Clergymen’, used to be his first approach. This is the utilization of ethos. (pg.445)Ethos is a moral intrigue, providing a legacy or the character of a person. This strategy was valuable in eventually of the paper and first related to his first sentence. He expressed that individual ministers to get mindful that they had been once in an indistinguishable situation from him or once had confidence in what he had faith in. He wanted them to know that he used to be baffled by them and that they ought to most likely be in a similar situation as him on the off chance that they adhered to their character. He clarifies that the individuals who stayed by utilizing him and their convictions are likewise there with him, so are their convictions and moves similarly unintelligent? , ‘I, close by with many individuals from my staff, am directly here because of the reality I was once welcomed here. I am here because of the reality I have hierarchical ties directly here (p.445)’ Was verification that these diverse gotten to what was once right.

The utilization of expository gadgets, claims, and contention helps practically demonstrate genuine focuses. These are techniques to impact how the peruser feels about something. Ruler utilizes implication, ‘It was once confirmed magnificently in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to comply with the legitimate rules of Nebuchadnezzar, on the floor that a higher good guideline used to be in question. It was polished fabulously by methods for the early Christians, who were slanted to confront hungry lions and the unbearable hurt of decreasing squares as a substitute than post to certain crooked laws of the Roman Empire (p. 450). ‘ When King utilizes costs from the holy book whether he feels this is clear or not, it shows up as though he knows about what he is speaking about. He utilizes allegories to make correlations with this point, ‘however despite everything we creep at pony and surrey rhythm towards increasing some coffee at a lunch counter(p.448).’ He is articulating that issues are by by no longer where they need to be and that they are never again treated as decently as anyone else, in any event, for something as basic as espresso. Lord’s utilization of symbolism ‘and see dismal billows of inferiority…unconscious harshness towards white individuals.’ This affirmed how people felt about observing racism and treachery in their own arrangement of individuals. Diction was acquainted with the outfit in a quiet tone. ‘Who lean towards a poor harmony which is the nonattendance of strain to a phenomenal harmony which is the nearness of justice this is both lingual authority and similar sounding word usage, reporting that essentially in light of the fact that there is a quiet on something it is smarter to have awesome harmony at that point negative.

Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” to eight skeptical clergymen addressed their criticism directed towards his actions to combat racism. After hearing and analyzing the clergymen’s bigoted proposition that King’s actions were both “unwise and untimely,” he created his counterargument to disprove their claim. Writing from Birmingham Jail in Alabama in August 1963, King showed that his efforts were not misguided but were essential in his movement to thwart racism growing in America. Although all men were free during King’s time, blacks were still treated as second-class citizens which King recognized. In saying “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” King wanted his audience to recognize the discrimination blacks faced daily and the urgent need for reform. King uses rhetorical devices such as metaphors, the rhetorical triangle, and symbols to support his claim throughout his letter effectively showing the clergymen his efforts were just.

King uses metaphors to accurately relate and portray how threatening racism had become. First, he showed the condition racism had left many blacks in by saying they “live in an airtight cage of poverty.” Similarly, these conditions left them “bound” no better off as if they were in prison. King continues this metaphor showing how blacks have been bound by chains for centuries. I am thankful I have “broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity.” To justify his actions to the clergymen, King showed how his action of protesting in the streets instead of simply fighting in court was in fact needed. Second, King related the Civil Rights Movement to a long journey. He showed how fighting could “open the doors to negotiation.” In other words, the journey to win freedom could finally begin! He further shows how the journey would contain “stumbling blocks,” but they must keep persisting. Lastly, King relates the metaphors of antithesis. He compares racism and prejudice to “dark and low” while comradeship and brotherhood to “high and light.” By comparing the injustice of racism to quicksand and human dignity to a solid rock, King showed how destructive not joining forces truly was in unifying the country.

King also addresses each part of the rhetorical triangle to connect with his audience. First, King effectively utilized ethos. At the beginning of his letter, King absolves the movement’s actions by showing its nonviolent forms of protest. However, King already has some trust and credibility because of his position as a leading African-American figurehead and a reputable pastor. Although King had previously gained some credibility, he still had to earn the trust from his hostile audience– the clergymen. He builds ethos by finding common ground; a protest was scheduled on the day of the Birmingham mayoral election, and they respectfully postponed the protest until the next day out of respect. Furthermore, King alludes that he is not the only one who sees the need for nonviolent protests in saying “Just as Socrates felt.” Second, King uses logos to further justify the movement’s actions. Logos does not appear as much in his letter as King does not need to convince anyone that violence is wrong; however, he needed to prove even his nonviolent ways were right. He explains that nonviolent protests “seek so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.” Protesting peacefully brought attention to the issue while doing it in the right way. Lastly, King uses pathos to draw emotion and succor his pacifist approach. By referring back to the Civil War in the times of slavery, King showed how much damage could be caused if he resorted to violence instead. King explains how blacks have “adjusted to segregation” further bringing out the emotions of the reader. This showed the hardships blacks were facing while the critics stood idly by.

Lastly, King alludes to famous people from history to combat the idea that he is an extremist. In the Bible, Paul suffered for Christ by being beaten, mocked, jailed, and eventually killed. King refers to Galatians 6:17 which says “I bear on my body the marks for the Lord Jesus.” Paul was not ashamed to stand for Christ even though he was denounced. Next, King alludes to John Bunyan’s action to stand up for what he believed in the face of persecution. Bunyan was thrown in jail for repeatedly preaching God’s Word. Upon his time to be released, English authorities forbade him to preach the Gospel. Knowing he could not forsake his God, Bunyan decided to stay in jail and minister there rather than being free. King referred to Bunyan saying “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a mockery of my conscience.” Lastly, Bunyan alludes to Abraham Lincoln and his position on slavery. This allusion proves to be the strongest as it directly relates to King’s situation. Lincoln, thought to be an extremist, said: “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” While Lincoln’s ideas were thought to be radical in his day, he is now regarded as a hero. King alludes to these men to show his reformist actions were in fact justified even though he was viewed as crazy.

King effectively supported his claim throughout his paper becoming a major figurehead in the movement to combat racism. By using metaphors and addressing all parts of the rhetorical triangle throughout the entire letter, King established himself and his message as legitimate; furthermore, he was able to connect with his audience. His urgency and immediate call for action showed the drastic need for reform. King used a well-rounded argument through his logic by vividly divulging the conditions blacks in the US faced. By promoting peaceful protest and inspiring change, King presented an argument the clergymen could connect with. King’s work helped accomplish his goal‒to provide a better future for America by bringing everyone together.

After reading Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’, you will know that it was written during his eight-day sentence in jail on April 16th of 1963. It was written to the clergymen about their criticism of what he was doing, stating that it was “unwise and untimely”. The letter is King’s response to an article in the newspaper. In it, he argues that he and his fellow demonstrators have a duty to fight for justice. Mr. King traveled to Birmingham due to the injustice, he chose to go and protest since he had other organizations that were homed in the city. So, he and several of his associates took to the road and headed to Birmingham, they didn’t want to just sit in Atlanta and do nothing when the people of Birmingham needed him.

King then mentions examples of early Christians, such as the Apostle Paul, who preached far from home, to make the point that King’s Christian obligation requires him to come to Birmingham because of the presence of injustice. Ultimately, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, according to King, so when it comes to fighting injustice, there is no such thing as an outsider in the U.S. King states: “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bound”.

In his ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’, Martin Luther King Jr. states the steps for non-violent resistance and specifies the racial injustices that curse Birmingham. King points out that working through political channels in the city has proven powerless, for instance, removing signs that enforce segregation in public, and he explains that it is time for direct action, having postponed it a few times. He emphasizes that the aim is to open the doors to negotiation and start a dialogue, as opposed to the conversations that have been the usual in Birmingham.

King closes his letter by saying: “If I have said anything in this letter that is an understatement of the truth and is indicative of an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything in this letter that is an overstatement of the truth and is indicative of my having a patience that makes me patient with anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me”.

‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ is a great read, it takes you back to that era of time. It takes you to the mind of Martin Luther King Jr. Meaning not understanding a dang thing, not understanding why people were treated differently, if we can worship the same God and believe we were all put here by him purposely, why can’t we live and thrive together, we are all brothers and sisters due to the fact that we have the same father. If we humans could just come together and overcome all the negativity and adversity and show one another support and stand together, the world would be a lot brighter.

When physical action fails to achieve a purpose, rhetoric is often considered the most compelling “weapon” to employ because of its power to persuade. During the Civil Rights Movement, despite promises of desegregation, African-American communities across the nation faced countless obstacles on their way toward true equality. Martin Luther King Junior, the renowned leader of the movement, led his fellow African-American brothers against the inequalities of segregation and racial prejudice of the South. In the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King responds to a public statement made by eight white clergymen while he was arrested for engaging in violent public demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama. In his letter, King refutes the clergymen’s criticism and garners support for the Civil Rights Movement by discrediting the clergymen’s claims, justifying his action, and arguing for the preservation of a unified country.

In his response to the clergymen’s criticisms and his characterization of white moderates, Martin Luther King discredited their assertions and denounced their actions. In the public statement directed to King by the eight Alabama clergymen, they accused King’s demonstrations as “unwise” and “untimely.” In response, King asserts that “time itself is neutral” and human progress only “comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God” (26). As King characterizes the efforts of the African American community as righteous actions that are in alignment with God’s will, he also suggests that the white moderates’ reluctance to act in the face of injustice is the cause of social stagnation. By presenting his argument as an undeniable truth, King manipulates his audience to feel obligated to accept his point of view. To refute the clergymen’s accusation of untimeliness, King demonstrates the four basic steps taken in a nonviolent campaign: “collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action” (6). His demonstration of the systematic approach emphasizes that they have taken careful consideration and numerous attempts to negotiate with the state government. However, their efforts are futile as they are forced to take the last resort due the Alabama’s state government’s refusal to negotiate. King’s portrayal of himself and his fellow African Americans in Birmingham as victims of a broken promise serves to win empathy from the audience as their hopes and efforts have been cruelly blasted. King’s direct refutation of the clergymen’s arguments is particularly persuasive because the juxtaposition of opposite arguments not only impels the reader to side with King’s arguments but also leads the readers to his following points.

After addressing the two direct criticisms of the clergymen, King furthers his argument by providing justifications for his actions. King structures his argument logically and objectively, which is not only conclusive but also incontrovertible. He proceeds by defining the difference between a just law, which “uplifts human personality,” and an unjust law, which “degrades human personality (16). Through the basic definitions of terms, King introduces a sense of morality in his audience and sets the ground for his later argument. He makes a clear distinction between anarchy and civil disobedience by stating that the latter is the act of breaking an unjust law “in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice” (20). By reassuring that he is not advocating the defiance of law but rather, uplifting humanity, King draws on the audience’s strong sense of morality as they are obliged to support his argument. In addition, instead of aiming to provoke a sense of agitation as the clergies have suggested, King’s purpose is to “merely bring to surface the hidden tension that is already alive” (24). Rather than artificially covering up the illness and letting it rotten inside, King chooses to expose the ugliness, and in doing so, he grants a voice to the victims of the oppressed race. Furthermore, King asserts that if peaceful actions must be condemned because they precipitated violence, it would be equivalent to condemning “Jesus because his…never-ceasing devotion to God’s will precipitated evil” (25). King compares the work of the African American community to that of God and thus establishes the righteous ground for their actions. Throughout the letter, King employs similar biblical allusions to suggest the credibility of their work as well as to establish the authority of their message; since the focus of his targeted audience is Christians, his argument is particularly effective. King also acknowledges that his fellow African Americans have faced years of oppression and that if their pent-up resentments and latent frustrations are not released in nonviolent ways, they will “seek solace and security in black-nationalist ideologies” which would “inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare”(29). His understanding of his audiences’ predicaments not only enhances his credibility but he also justifies the nonviolent approach as a helpful way to minimize possible damages that may occur.

As public demonstrations are mainly organized to gain publicity, King also aims to garner public support as he advocates the preservation of a unified country. Although the white moderates may not concur with the approach that he employs, King reminds them of the inevitability of an egalitarian society as the “yearning for freedom [will] eventually [manifest] itself” (30). King’s reference to America’s westward expansion “manifest way” evokes a sense of nationalism and implies the prophetical success of their movement. The notion that they will inevitably achieve their goal as a unified nation is both glorious and exhilarating. Additionally, as the most prominent figure of his people, King not only exemplifies an understanding of the predicaments of the African American community, but he also demonstrates his own bitterness when he finds his “tongue twisted and…speech stammering” as he fails to answer his daughter’s inquiry of why they are restricted to go to the amusement park (14). King’s personal, firsthand experience allows him to be a more accessible leader as his audience is able to relate their experience with his. Furthermore, he addresses the destructive effect of segregation on children as he sees “her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people” (14). King asserts segregation has not only tormented their generation but also their children as they have been misguided at a young age to accept inferiority as the norm. As different races are segregated, the country is being pulled further apart as well; therefore King implies an urgency to act in order to preserve a unified country for later generations. As he unifies his audience into a single entity rather than distinct individuals, the confidence of a united nation to overcome segregation is greatly enhanced.

In the letter from Birmingham jail, Martin Luther King initiates a response to the clergymen’s public statement in which he justifies his actions and garners support for the Civil Rights Movement. Despite the fact that King was in no position of power, his compelling arguments were able to bring public acceptance to the nonviolent demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama. Although he is physically confined in a tiny cell, his influence is able to reach out to countless places in the world, and even to this day, his work is still considered an exemplar for countries that are still fighting for racial equality.