Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” was a response to a public letter written by white moderate church leaders, as well as a call to support the cause for equal rights among the black communities. Most Christian Churches were torn between their black Christian brothers and their white Christian brothers. Dr. King pleaded with the white Church with biblical text from the New Testament and from theologians, like St Augustine, and St Thomas Aquinas just to name a few. This paper will look at the Old Testament in how it might have struck the heat of the white Churches in showing them how they are back sliding like the Kings of the Promised land. Using the prophets who prophesied to the people of God that they are deemed unjust in how they are treating the elderly, the widow’s and the poor. God’s people were not showing love to their own, and God was warning them of punishment to come if they did not change their ways. All though, it is not just Israel and Judah that are being accused, it is also those that surround Gods people. They are also accused because all are subject …show more content…
King was not only thinking about the black community equal rights, but also about the Church itself. “The white clergy's letter advanced two powerful critiques that, if left unanswered, could uproot the foundation of the civil rights movement itself. The first of these was in their very act of writing publicly as clergy.” Dr. King mentioned in Jail 4 that a new movement was springing up, a group called Elijah Muhammad’s Muslim movement. This obviously was a concern for Dr. King, as it opposed Christianity, and he did not want his people to fall for a false religion. Jeremiah cried out to the people of Judah to remember what God has done for his people (Jeremiah 2), and in Jeremiah 10 how the people turned their backs on God for Idols. This is what Dr. King is saying to the white Churches, that they have turned their backs on God and turned to the burning anger in their
Dr. King establishes himself as many things, most importantly as a non-violent, authoritative man of God in order to identify himself as an equal to the clergymen. His religious influence supports the assertion that he has “the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state” (40). In his response to the men who so graciously wrote “A Call for Unity,” Dr. King establishes himself as a man of the Bible, as they have also identified themselves as members of the Christian church. This grants him the opportunity to summon the power of the Lord/God to support his argument, stating that blacks “will win our freedom because the sacr...
The letter from Birmingham jail by Dr. Marin Luther King was written as a response of King to nine criticisms made against the Southern Christian leaders and King’s participation in demonstration in Birmingham. King handled many rhetorical devices to convince his opponents such as the white clergymen with his rights to protest, create tension for direct action and to achieve the racial justice. The devices fluctuate between Logos, Pathos and Ethos in a clever way to appeal to his audience and criticize them at the same time. King provided logical supports such as biblical figures, historical and philosophical references. In addition, he used verities of metaphors, allergy and poetic language. In my essay, I will point out some of the rhetorical devices and
“…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…” –Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Over the years, many groups of people have been denied basic human rights just based on simple things such as gender or race. These acts go against the UDHR, or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UDHR is a document of the equal and inalienable rights/freedoms all people are born with. One statement from the UDHR that was disregarded is the right to an equal education. An example from not too long ago is the story of Malala Yousafzai who was shot for trying to get an education because she is a girl. Article 26 of the UDHR states: “Everyone has the right to an education…”
Ashley Sanchez 29659103 Analysis Essay Oppression is defined by the act of subjugating a people and state through means of force- a universal theme explored in both Hobson’s Choice by Harold Brighouse and Letter from Birmingham Jail written by Martin Luther King Jr (Webster). How can one achieve what they term as the ‘good life’ under oppression and is it necessarily worth the consequences that can result from said search? Hobson’s Choice explores the difficulty of finding a good life under the oppression of a father, and how that quest can result in a happier life. Letter from Birmingham Jail tackles a more defined term of subjugation and the danger of finding a ‘good life’ compared to safety and unhappiness under oppression. Ultimately, the search for a good life is derived from the struggle of rising above one’s oppressor, with the personal satisfaction of searching for the good life outweighing the consequences that may arise.
“Hence, segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful.”… Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest speakers in all of history wrote these words in his letter from Birmingham Jail (King 48). His great use of rhetoric affected largely the freeing of an entire race. During his work in the Civil Rights Movement, he visited a small town called Birmingham in Alabama, and wrote one of his most rhetorically compelling letters there. In this letter, he used historical evidence, scriptural references, descriptive vocabulary, and great organization of points to respond to grievances raised against his movement: that he should wait, that he was breaking laws, that his peace brought on violence, and that his activities were extreme.
Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is an excellent example of an effective argument; it was written in response to an editorial addressing the issue of Negro demonstrations and segregation in Alabama at the time. He writes in a way that makes his argument approachable; he is not attacking his opposition, which consists of eight Alabama clergymen who wrote the editorial. This is illustrated in his opening sentence: “My dear Fellow Clergymen” (464). King was an activist for civil rights during this time, and came to Alabama to help out his fellow brothers that were facing opposition. He was concerned with the monologue rather than dialogue that was going on during this time in Alabama; where each side would talk about the problem but never get together to negotiate and seek a solution. The clergymen’s editorial along with the unjust circumstances for Negroes at the time in Alabama was King’s driving force in writing this letter from his jail cell, and created an outline of a strong argument for many years to come.
talks about how African Americans in the South were being arrested and publicly chastened by the police force for their nonviolent protests. But, he extols these protests because of what they stand for. He says they “…preserve the evil system of segregation…I wish you had commended the Negro demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer, and their amazing discipline in the midst of the most inhuman provocation” (94). Because these people were aiming to end the discrimination they were facing, and did this in a peaceful manner that respected their Judeo-Christian values that all men are created equal, King saw it as exactly what this oppressed group needed. They needed a push of confidence to know that they were being treated unjustly, and that they did have the power to stand up to
Writers attempt to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip. Martin Luther King in his letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, uses this technique. In Mr. King’s letter his creativity and intricate usage of diction creates a meaningful letter. Not only does he illustrate picturesque ideas, but also, he uses rhetorical appeal and specific language and style to portray his message. His purpose is to inform the clergyman about Negros patiently waiting for the abolition of segregation and resentment toward the African American people.
King clears up any idea that he’s just someone who has broken the law for no reason. He does this by saying; “I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” (Para 15) This statement tells us that Dr. King is simply adhering to his moral responsibility by doing as he’s supposed to. He knows that following a one-sided makes no sense, and it would be submitting to evil. He even goes on to quote St. Augustine, declaring that, “an unjust law is no law at all.” (Para 15) Therefore, the segregation laws that were implemented in Birmingham at the time were by St. Augustine’s logic, no law at
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written to address the public criticism he and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference received from eight clergymen. In his letter, King shows off his fiery emotion throughout his letter. However, King does not force his beliefs upon his readers. Rather, he hopes that his readers will see his perspective on the situation through an emotional appeal. If the readers are able to recognize the injustice and inequality suffered by the African American community, perhaps they can. The fourteenth and fifteenth paragraphs were a true testament to his passion and ambition for equal rights.
A statement from eight white clergymen from Alabama prompted Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”. This statement criticized Kings actions of non-violent protests against racial segregation and the injustice of unequal civil rights in America (Carpenter elt al.). The eight clergymen considered Birmingham to be “their” town and King was disrupting the “Law and Order and Common Sense” established in coping with racial issues in Alabama during this time (Carpenter elt al. par 1). These clergymen considered King an “outsider” and describe his actions as “unwise and untimely” (Carpenter elt al. par 3). This statement suggests that there is an appropriate time to create equality among all Americans. To analyze the power strategizes of Martin Luther King’s Letter we must understand this letter was written from a jail cell, where King a black man, was held for protesting for racial equality. Furthermore, King began writing his letter among the margins of the newspaper’s article that contained the clergymen’s statement (King Institute).
“In spite of my shattered dreams of the past, 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 serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to the power structure.” This appeal seems logical enough, the church is typically the first to offer aid and is usually quick to join a cause that benefits mankind. However in the case of Birmingham King said, “But again I have been disappointed.” This is because of the inaction of the southern white church who stood passively as their Christian brethren struggled, this is perhaps the greatest cause of King’s frustration. The idea that Christians would ignore the suffering of those around them was, perhaps, novel to King, who strongly believed in loving thy neighbor as thyself. For him this inaction was possibly similar to a slap in the face, to be ignored by other Christians whom he should have been able to rely on based on principle. King does mention a few noble white churches whom helped in the struggle such as “Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand this past Sunday in welcoming Negroes to your Baptist Church worship service on a
"Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written in April 16, 1963, is a passionate letter that addresses and responds to the issue and criticism that a group of white clergymen had thrown at him and his pro- black American organization about his and his organization's non- violent demonstrative actions against racial prejudice and injustice among black Americans in Birmingham.
He remarks on his surprise and disappointment with the church and white Christians in general when he says, “I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests, and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders” (King 9). This statement is incredibly powerful because he and other colored people have been hurt by the very system that is supposed to be accepting of all people. King thought that people of the church would act as an ally and support the colored people, but they did exactly the opposite. By saying this, King places guilt on the clergymen that hits deeper than individual guilt but on the church as a whole. Clergymen typically have an attitude where they want people to think highly of them and think they are good people, and this opposes that
The letter was written during the 1960’s when people, white people in particular, believed that segregating African Americans was civil and humane. Furthermore, white people thought that African Americans were an inferior race. King includes the following in his letter: “I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls…” (p.187) Martin Luther King’s purpose of writing is to address this occasion of racism and cruelty towards African Americans living in the United States of America. In the letter, King attempts to appeal to multiple audiences. His first major audience is the eight Alabama clergymen. King’s letter is a direct response to them and their belief that the non-violent protests occurring in the city create tension and are unlawful. Another audience is the white moderate who does not take a stance on the issue of African Americans having basic human rights. By