...Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote the letter from Birmingham jail in 1963. He wrote it while he had been in jail for eleven days. Dr. King at the time had many supporters, but he also had several haters who disagreed with his beliefs and values. Martin Luther King, Jr. received hate from people in leadership position, but he continued to proclaim freedom and racial equality. The purpose of “ Letter from Birmingham Jail” deals with a response from Dr. King to his critics and “ clergymen”. Dr. King desired to make his followers aware of the problems that were occurring in Birmingham, so that they could in some way help him. Dr. King’s letter serves as a historic and well-known document that became part of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King begins...
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...Leader Martin Luther King Jr, has been referenced by many political leaders to remind people of what the United States can be with peace between citizens. Another widely known project by Martin Luther King Jr. is the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Martin Luther King Jr. created this letter to respond to a public statement of concern by eight clergymen of the South. Dr King’s intentions were to defend the strategy of the nonviolent resistance to racism. Although some of his arguments fail, overall Dr. King provides valid arguments to these criticisms that use logic and credibility. In his letter, Dr. King. begins by stating that he does not usually address criticisms but he will answer to them because of their seemingly genuine intentions. Dr. King immediately makes it his duty to attack the notion that he and his associates should be considered “outsiders.” The clergyman state, “However, we are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders” (Public Statement by eight Alabama clergyman 1). Dr. King establishes credibility to this opposition that he is indeed not an “outsider” by mentioning that he serves as the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and he also includes that, “We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations all across the South” (Letter from Birmingham 1). He states that his purpose in Birmingham is because of his...
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...A Letter From a Birmingham Jail The Civil Rights Movement was a pivotal turning point in the battle for equal rights for African Americans. Among the many leaders and supporters of the movement, one of the most notable activists of all was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King dedicated most of his life to the fight for equal rights. He did this through the use of nonviolent direct action. Although his actions were appreciated by many, just as many people were annoyed, offended, and disagreed with his actions. Consequently, King ended up in jail numerous times. However, upon his arrest in Birmingham, Alabama for demonstrating without a permit, King decided to utilize his time in jail to write a letter to certain clergymen who criticized his actions. In this letter, King addresses his thoughts, feelings, actions, and the criticism that he was subjected to by his fellow clergymen. Through the creation of this letter, Martin Luther King Jr. has created an influential and thought provoking piece of literature. While incarcerated, Dr. King had lots of time to collect his thoughts. After thinking about everything that had happened and about all the things that have yet to happen led King to write a letter discussing all of theses things. This letter clearly states King's goal multiple times. He writes, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here (King 1).” He goes on to write, “Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for help (King 1).” In those...
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...In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a Letter from Birmingham Jail after arrested for peacefully protesting against segregation and racial discrimination in Birmingham, Alabama. The Jim Crow system created segregation laws for blacks and whites having separate bathrooms, schools, and restaurants that existed after the era of slavery. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had expected the support of numerous local religious figures in hopes of uniting to end racial terror. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail King recognizes and replies to every nine detailed criticisms created by the white church and its leaders. What is evident in this letter is that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses emotional, rational, and ethical to persuade those who read his letter. To get his readers feeling emotion King...
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...Written by Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 16, 1963 “Letter From Birmingham Jail” was written to eight clergymen responding to their previous letter. Born in 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. grew up to become one of the most influential civil rights leaders in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He was a preacher who along side with teaching God’s word, was also a leader in civil rights. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and later led numerous protests against segregation. In 1963, King had led a march in Birmingham, Alabama and got improper treatment and was thrown in jail. While residing in jail, Martin Luther King, Jr. received a letter written by eight clergymen criticizing King’s actions. King responded to the letter with honesty, knowledge, and also a sense of power he had. Martin Luther King, Jr. used ethos, logos, and pathos to show where claims of the clergymen were faulty and to give a sense of understanding to what it is like on the black side of segregation. Ethos is ethical appeal or appeals based on the writer’s authority and credibility. Martin Luther King, Jr. uses ethos to portray that just because he is a colored man, does not mean he is not important. He uses it to show the clergymen that he did belong in Birmingham. He is credible in the sense that he has honor “serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference” where he leads groups of people for Movement of Human Rights. King cares about the people, he states “injustice anywhere...
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...Time in a Jail of Birmingham In the famous letter “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” or also known as “The Negro Is Your Brother” written by famous activist Martin Luther king Jr was written on April 16, 1963 as an open letter. Between the years of 1954–1968 the movement of American civil rights was going on. And during the movement of American civil rights African American people and non-colored people were treated very differently. Some examples would consist of colored people not being able to go to a certain amusement parks because of the color of their skin while non colored people were able to go to any amusement parks, another example where colored people were treated...
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...His first chapter, “The Politics of Slavery”, contains the writings of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., revolving around Holmes’ experience with racial prejudice as a white man. Holmes believed in equality, which developed his central argument that the misallocation of black individual’s rights should be not be allowed. Being a strong abolitionist, he did not agree with the Fugitive Slave Act. It declared that all escaped slaves must return to their masters, taking away the “good life” and personal rights of escaped slaves. William Lloyd Garrison, a renowned journalist and social reformer, took part in a peaceful protest of the Fugitive Slave Act by writing in his newspaper The Liberator, demanding the immediate emancipation of all slaves (Menand 11). His non-violent retaliation caught the attention of...
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...Letter From Birmingham Jail Vs. “I Have a Dream Speech” The first way that a “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “ I have a Dream” differ are in their intended audience, as one is intended for a group of white clergymen while the other is intended to rally a large group. This difference in audience and how Dr. King chooses to appeal to each of his audiences causes for the choices in language and the purpose of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “I have a Dream” to differ. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is addressed to white clergymen, and the purpose of the letter is to defend the demonstrations that were taking place. As Dr. King is trying to defend the demonstrations to these white clergymen, his language choice is quite interesting. One brilliant way that he chooses to defend the demonstrations is by appealing to the white men through his choice of Anglo terms. For instance, in the letter, Dr. King writes, “Just as the prophets of the eighth century century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saint the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns…I am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town” (King). This choice of wording makes Dr. King’s argument stronger since as these white men disagree with Dr. King and his form of peaceful protest, the white clergymen will not be able to argue back because he is using religious references that if the white men chose to argue against, it would make them look like hypocrites (Eubank). While...
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...Civil disobedience is the act of refusal against laws, taxes, or demands by a government usually staying peaceful in nature. Martin Luther King Jr. and Antigone implement civil disobedience to defy unjust law; however, both approaches used to go against the wrong laws are different. Martin Luther King Jr. became the leader for the civil rights movement to put an end to segregation through civil disobedience by stressing the importance of peacefully protesting; while Antigone purposely went against the law, knowing the consequences, to follow God’s law instead of man-made law in a holy effort to bury her late brother Polyneices. Martin Luther King Jr. goes against unjust laws through civil disobedience by initiating peaceful protests. He believed that using nonviolent tactics are better at showing the immorality the unjust laws’ and calls for black people to fight the long battle against segregation. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, he reveals the unjust treatment going on in Birmingham and why it is important for him to be there helping, “Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already...
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...Rhetorical Analysis of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly” quoted by Martin Luther King Jr. He was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. During the civil rights protests, he was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama because for protesting without a permit. Some realized arresting Dr. King is the best idea. However, Dr. King did not let jail block his...
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...Courage and Moral Leadership Olivier Faye Dr. Mark Pantaleo PAD 515 Sunday, February 5, 2012 What comes to mind when you hear the word leader? Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy? According to Webster’s Dictionary, a leader is one who leads. As a leader, you can put ethical values into action and set the example you want followers to live by. You can resist pressures to act unethically just to avoid criticism or achieve short term gains. (Daft, page 167). Leadership is not merely a set of practice with no association with right or wrong. All leadership practice can be used for good or evil and thus have a moral dimension. Leaders choose whether to act form selfishness and greed to diminish others or to behave in ways that serve others and motivate people to expand their potential and as a human being. Moral leadership is about distinguishing right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest, the good and the right conduct to achieve goals and fulfilling purpose There are a select few individuals who have come variously to be called great or brilliant because they and their accomplishments have forever changed society and the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was on those individual. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929 - April 4, 1968) would have been 83 on Jan. 15, 2012. Unfortunately his birthday has been turned into a three-day weekend by being recognized as a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January each year...
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...articles, “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., and the “Speech at the March Washington” by Josephine Baker both provided different perspectives on achieving equality and the use of peaceful acts while using non- violence to create equality. To begin with, for one to achieve true freedom one must use peaceful acts to change the nations perspectives on equality. According to the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., King stated that “As a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting of devising the law.” This reveals the King wrote the letter to express how felt about blacks being treated unfairly. In addition, in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr., King stated that “But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the first amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.” This demonstrates how king felt about blacks not being treated equally. Furthermore, for one to achieve true freedom one must use non-violence to change the nations perspective on how people should be treated in America. Based on the...
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...English Composition I Dr. Joseph “Jay” Avella 18 July 2013 The civil rights leader and activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was most remembered as an effective orator and passionate organizer of social movements. (D.L. Chandler, 2012). His letter from a Birmingham jail written in 1963 explained his ethical, emotional and logical appeal. Martin Luther King was a clergyman and a prominent leader in the civil rights movement. He was an activist and an advocate for the rights of the oppressed African American people and used nonviolent methods in his fight for equality. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is a truly emotionally charged, but particularly logical letter. Martin Luther King appeals to the reader in an effort to make them understand what he and the oppressed people were doing was a necessary step and that it was in love, not hate for those that oppressed them. His emotions in the letter do not come across as hateful but more as frustration in an effort to appeal to the reader. He appeals to the emotions of the reader on several occasions by talking about how the “Negros” were treated but perhaps the emotional appeal that stands out is at the end of his letter. He apologizes for the letter being long and assures the reader that it “would have been much shorter” had he been “writing from a comfortable desk”. He states, “What else can one do when alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts...
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...As a person think, would I die for what I believe in? Martin Luther King was a vital leader of the black community during the civil rights movement. Through his upbringing, his role in the civil rights movement, and his assassination. Martin Luther King shaped the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King’s father and mother influenced him throughout his upbringing. Martin was taught peace by his parents. Martin’s parents told him that he should not hate white people and that his duty as a Christian was to love everyone (Bader 8). Non-Violence was something instilled in Martin at an early age. His father as a preacher knew violence was not the answer (Bader 2 and 6). Community was another value Martin Luther King Jr. Learned from his father....
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...Prison within the Prejudice Prejudice has polluted the world for centuries. From homophobia to nationalism to religious prejudices, the differences between human beings permeated society and twisted it with the hands of time. The most prominent example of such social diseases is segregation. The events that led up to the Civil Rights Movement of 1954-1968 were conducted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King, in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, utilizes devices such as metaphorical language, diction, and antitheses to convey a sense of urgency, to toy with the emotions of his audience, and to break the chains of inequity. Metaphors throughout Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter urge the audience of the clergymen to act against the racial prejudices...
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