Unifying Voices: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Segregation

Segregation; the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence. African Americans were victims of this inequity for far too long; from slavery to segregation. Several brave men and women fought for equity and unification. One such integrationist was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. . Despite all the hate and threats he received, he never stopped believing unification and peace were possible. Even as he was being held captive in Birmingham Jail, where he received a letter from the clergymen where they practically called him an outsider who needed to stop meddling with their problems; Dr.King sought to help the clergymen understand with respect. Through a combination of ethos, logos and pathos, Dr.King

Dr.King uses logos to help the clergymen see the logic behind their civil-disobedience. Dr. King intelligently assesses the reason as to why he is in Birmingham and shoots down the term ‘outsider’ by recalling what actions brought him to Birmingham and how he ended up in Birmingham Jail. “Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call… in a nonviolent direct-action...we readily consented… we lived up to our promise… So I...am here because injustice is here”(1). He explains that he is by no means an outsider rather he was invited to Birmingham by his ties informing him of the inequity they faced and he concludes his statement by stating that wherever injustice was present he would be found fighting against it, He then resumes to explain nonviolent tension and how nonviolent gadflies can create such tension to the point where the issue can no longer be indolently pushed aside and ignored as if it were quixotic. “The purpose of our direct-action program is to create such a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation”(3). Through logos he explains his logic behind using direct-action to create such heavy tension to which the community is forced to see his people. Dr. King’s use of logos helps the clergymen see all the logic behind his and his people’s actions, but one area is still missing:

King’s use of ethos, logos, and pathos balanced his letter out allowing for just the right amount of credibility, logic, and emotion, without one single strategy overwhelming the clergymen. He uses pathos to allow the clergymen to feel the pain behind segregation, logos to understand the logic behind anti-segregation and ethos, probably the most convincing, to help them relate to their actions and ideas. Just the fact that Dr. King had so much faith and kindness towards these men is incredible, but to have had such a perfect balance while being confined to a jail cell is astonishing. It’s almost impossible to believe that even after all that Dr. King faced he still had respect for the clergymen. But just like others, such as Anne Frank,he believed that despite all that had happened there was still good in the