Martin Luther King Jr.’s Approach on Racism Since the beginning of time, racism has always been a pivotal issue, and a matter that has always succeeded in dividing Americans. Even after the American Civil War was fought and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, Americans, especially those who were from the South, were still persistent in maintaining unequal rights for nonwhites. For decades, nonwhites attempted to gain the attention of the government to try to bring a stop to inequality, but to no prevail. As a matter of fact, the nonwhites’ continuity of failed attempts to attain equal rights was a factor that led Martin Luther King Jr. to write his famous letter, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” In this letter, King’s main claim …show more content…
doesn’t fail to use rhetorical appeals to illustrate the racial injustice that was occurring in Birmingham and other places in the United States. Throughout his letter, King uses ethos, logos, and pathos with the intention of captivating the reader, and persuading his readers that his ideas are credible and logical. First of all, in his letter, King uses ethos to establish his authority, and includes many examples. For instance, he mentions that he serves as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, that he is a minister of the gospel, and that he’s a civil rights leader. Moreover, his use of ethos was quite effective in influencing me to believe that he did have the authority to argue his central claim. Particularly, in his letter, King stated that he was the president of the Christian Leadership Conference, which supports his claim that it was his responsibility, as a Christian, to lead protests against the discrimination of nonwhites. Mentioning that he was a minister of the gospel, who loves the church, serves to say that he was religious and a supporter of things that were moral and just, while his position of a civil rights leader meant that he was focused on equality amongst everyone. Overall, his use of ethos was successful. He was able to persuade his readers that he had the knowledge and authority to be discussing the issue of non-violent action. …show more content…
For example, he reveals that he, along with members of his staff, were invited to Birmingham, and that he has organizational ties there, that Birmingham is an immensely segregated city well-known for its brutality, and that there are four basic steps to non-violence. The fact that King, along with members of his staff, was invited to Birmingham to engage in a non-violent direct action program effectively supports his claim that it was his duty to engage in direct action. To his readers, the invitation signifies that someone wanted him to be there, and that he had accepted due to the racial injustice that resided in the city. Another example is how King states that at the time Birmingham was a highly segregated city with a reputation for people being violent and hostile. Using logos, readers can reason that he and others of his community only engaged in direct action in response to the prejudice and maltreatment of nonwhites. Lastly, King uses logos to determine the four basic steps in any non-violent campaign, the last step being direct action. By his statement, his readers are required to reason the effectiveness of direct action in leading a non-violent protest; even though, all the steps have been done, it is the only way to make the topic of injustice more widely known. Generally speaking, King was highly successful in using logos
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King brings attention to the reality of racial inequality in the 1960s. King writes this letter in response to clergymen addressing their apprehensions regarding the timing of the nonviolence demonstrations. The letter addressees specific arguments presented in the clergymen’s letter and his direct response. King’s goal in writing this letter is to convince the clergymen that his strategies are right and just. In this section, King rebuts the allegation made by the clergymen that his actions were untimely. In his counter argument, King uses repetition, metaphors, emotional appeals in order to persuade the audience to support his cause.
The “Letter from Birmingham” has many quality to it, and each serves a purpose to convince the audience. The purpose of the letter was to respond to fellow clergyman of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, they wrote an article “A Call for Unity” in the newspaper that questioned King’s methods of protest. In King’s response he was very detailed and clear onto why the opinions of the clergyman were incorrect and no logical. Throughout the letter there are rhetorical devices used that helped better king’s argument. He uses ethos to reach the audience from his own personal experience, pathos to have an emotional connection, and logos for logic or evidence from creditable sources.
One may be very impressed with Martin Luther King’s braviary, patience, and respect towards his readers. From here on out after analyzing his piece of writing many may want to reflect back on history and the realization of this event that had taken place. This letter gives you a glimpse as to what African Americans and people of other nationalities had went through during segregational times. This letter is inspirational and one should feel so lucky to be able to have read and understand this glance of our nation’s
The forceful subjugation of a people has been a common stain on history; Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail was written during the cusp of the civil rights movement in the US on finding a good life above oppressive racism. Birmingham “is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known,” and King’s overall goal is to find equality for all people under this brutality (King). King states “I cannot sit idly… and not be concerned about what happens,” when people object to his means to garner attention and focus on his cause; justifying his search for the good life with “a law is just on its face and unjust in its application,” (King). Through King’s peaceful protest, he works to find his definition of good life in equality, where p...
In the touching, influential letter, Letter from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. responds to the white, Alabama clergymen who condemned his movement as “unwise and untimely” (1) and delineates his motives for traveling to Birmingham, where whites consider him an “outsider” (1). Hoping to express his ambition of nonviolent protest in a sympathetic, deferential manner, he implores the white clergy to join the struggle for Civil Rights. Throughout the letter, he addresses and disputes against each negative argument by the whites, testifying his position unpretentiously, yet confidently. With aptitude, poise, and humility, King establishes his motives for coming to such an unwelcoming environment. In his heart-rending letter, King’s coherent logos, stimulating rhetorical questions, and accentuating parallel structure express to the white moderates who criticized his actions that nonviolent, direct protest is not only essential, but also inevitable to contain agitated hostility and to assume relative peace.
“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.
In the following quote “when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, and ever kill your black brothers and sister – then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.” King uses three words that were very significant when he say, “cursed, kick and kill.” These words were very shocking when reading them, for a law enforcer to verbally abuse someone and then physically hurt and take someone life. Even though law enforcer, has so much power, they should not abuse their power. King illustrates how everyone in the community is considering brothers and sisters as a whole. Uniting as a community and not individual is what going to make them strong. Out of the three appeals king uses pathos in this quote, which is using emotions as your examples. By King, using emotions he was able to let the people feel what was happening other than just telling
King uses his position of being an American clergy man, devout Christian and a leader of the civil rights movement in order to push for civil rights against racial segregation and prejudices and bring more recognition and light towards African Americans. King uses various words and phrases to achieve the emotions of the audience to sympathize his state and to understand the sacrifices he has made towards the civil rights movement. Unlike Martin Luther King, Thoreau did not rule out using violence against an unjust government. When reviewing the rhetorical appeals of logos, ethos and pathos, King achieved a clear, more concise essay with greater emotional depth and a more relatable personality.
Within this period of Civil Rights Movement, in 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama, the strain of racial segregation that was imposed on African Americans was reaching the point where the African Americans were treated badly in the public. After being arrested for his part in the Birmingham Campaign, King wrote rhetorical appeal letter in response to “A Call for Unity”, which was written by eight white clergymen from Alabama. In order for King to get the heart of the clergymen and his audience, he uses logos to elucidate to the clergymen by comparing racial injustice to a boil: King state, “Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured” (King 4). Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is an emotional gaze into the authenticity of racial discrimination in 1960s America. King established this letter to his fellow clergymen which aims to address their concerns on the subject of the wisdom and timing of the nonviolent actions and the unjust demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama that he and other fellow leaders carried out in 1963. King employs all three types of appeals ethos, pathos and logos; however, I discover that I am particularly moved by pathos and ethos in his letter. So much thought that I must admit I was primarily mystified by my own emotions. King’s letter evoked strong feelings of compassion, indignation, and even pride in his audience. King use of logical statements and established facts to influence a strong opinion toward the clergymen and the people of Alabama, King uses logical reasoning in several occasions throughout his letter. For instance, when in
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written while he was “confined in the Birmingham city jail.” His letter was a direct response to the eight Alabama clergymen who insisted that King’s use of nonviolent direct action was unlawful. The clergymen questioned his method of protests even though they had similar goals as King. In his letter, King illustrates the hardships and injustices that African Americans in the United States were enduring during the mid-twentieth century; doing so allows King to justify the nonviolent actions of his fellow protestors. King uses the classical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos, along with his rhetorical situation, to support his claims about the racial discrimination and segregation in the United States.
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
In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. proves that he is well knowledgeable in the happenings in Birmingham. By providing a surplus of examples of events and details which he finds alarming, King was able to persuade the clergymen to like at the way the Negro community is being treated in the south using the appeal to logos, pathos and ethos. He displays his willingness to continue with respect and dignity, but because of the emotional ties that he has towards this cause, he will not remain inactive.
King's main thesis in writing the Birmingham letter is that, racial segregation, or injustice to the black American society, is due to the continuous encouragement of the white American society, particularly the powerful communities in politics and religions. King defends his primary thesis all throughout the length of his letter, and the arguments that he has made to prove that his thesis is true and valid will be the focus of this rhetorical analysis.
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.
First and foremost King calmly response to the statement from the clergymen that his non-violent direct action were “unwise and untimely”. King logically does so by giving the situation where the negro leaders tried many times to negotiate with the city fathers to remove racial sign, but the promises never to held true. Thus showing negotiation was no longer an option that direct action was needed to be done to solve the issue. By King giving this example it gives reason for his actions of the non-violent protest. King continues to use logos. He goes into the fact that what Hitler had done to Jews was legal in Germany and that what the freedom fighters did was...