...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...
Words: 1151 - Pages: 5
...Kyle McCrite Ms. Vaughn English 102-01 14 September 2009 Someone Else’s Shoes Martin Luther King’s (MLK) “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” was written in 1963 as a response to the Eight Alabama Clergymen’s public statement against King’s actions in April of that year. Martin Luther King Jr. was an activist for desegregation of the south in the early 1960s and overcame much adversity to attain incredible gains on the segregation issue in the United States. King uses effective persuasive appeals of logical evidence, emotional appeal, and author credibility to win over his audience in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail.” MLK’s writing shows the effects of segregation in Birmingham with clear direct language and heart wrenching examples. Imagine being put in his position. If your family and friends were being treated cruelly and unjustly would you not help them in any way possible, especially if included in the mistreated group? After reading MLK’s letter, maybe you would see things in a different way with his convincing examples of logical and emotional appeal. Martin Luther King proves his credibility by several factors. The first way King proves he is a credible author is the fact that he is in the Birmingham jail. He is arrested while protesting in the city. The reader can believe that MLK is writing about something that he is well versed in because he shows that he has experienced it firsthand. Another way that Martin Luther King shows he’s plausible is by stating “I have...
Words: 1426 - Pages: 6
...from Birmingham Jail” In the 1950’s and well through the 1960’s, Martin Luther King Jr. was the main leader of the civil rights movements. There was violence in innocent protesting, cruel bombings, and soul poured speeches. The Civil Right movements, involving people of both skin colors, measured up to a very large sum of events, both implementing segregation and the fight against the segregation. King had experienced many events, both eye opening and cruel, both strong and solid with morals. Yet throughout the turmoil between the differences of both races King did not fail to speak his word. MLK did not fail to make know that what segregation stood for was wrong and treacherous. King did not underestimate his ability to be unwavering...
Words: 1201 - Pages: 5
...English 100 March 17th, 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. Question 6 on page 177 Have you ever thought about integrity? We all have at some point in our lives. The Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines integrity as “the quality of being honest or fair and the state of being complete or whole.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Stephen L. Carter spoke about this and defined it in their own ways. Stephen L. Carter wrote in “The Rules about the Rules” that “integrity requires 3 steps: (1) discerning what is right and what is wrong; (2) acting on what you have discerned, even at personal cost; and (3) saying openly that you are acting on your understanding of right from wrong.” During a major protest of unfair business practices in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. King was arrested and put into jail for his actions. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he gave evidence of Stephen L. Carter’s definition of integrity. “Discerning what is right and what is wrong.” In 1954, the Supreme Court came to the decision to outlaw segregation in public schools. Even though this was Federal Law, the community still chose to obey the city ordinances of segregation. Dr. King stated that for the African-American people there was “grossly unjust treatment in the courts, and there were more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than any other city in the nation.” Despite strong efforts made from the leaders in the African-American community...
Words: 522 - Pages: 3
...of racial segregation and violence, which ended in 1968 (History.com Staff). During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an activist for civil rights. Dr. King was negro, at the time of the civil rights movement people who were negro had few to no rights. On the 12th of April 1963, Dr. King receives a letter from eight clergymen. In the letter, the clergymen tell Dr. King to stop protesting and leave the segregation to the courts (Carpenter et al. 1). When Dr. King receives the letter, he is in jail for starting protests. In the letter Dr. King writes, he includes examples of logos. Dr. King explains that he is in Birmingham because injustice is present. In his letter, he explains that negros should be considered a native citizen because people are living on the grounds of the United...
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...Engl. 1213-009 29 November 2010 Letter from Birmingham Jail In Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Dr. King expresses his grief for his fellow black people, after seeing and hearing about the injustice that was taking place in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King is very explicit in the letter; he makes a very obvious argument on the immeasurable amount of injustice taking place. A reader experiences firsthand that it was about time for necessary action to take place, considering how long the black people had waited for equality through nonviolent protest. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was a response to eight clergymen’s letter called “A Call for Unity”. In the letter, Dr. King addresses his critics that believed his actions were “unwise and untimely” (King 204). To achieve his personal proposal, King uses ethos, pathos and logos to convey a sense of understanding a reason for equality and sympathy. The main point in Dr. King’s letter is that black people have patiently waited long enough for their God-given rights; “We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights” (King 207). And despite what anyone might have said, it time for change to take place. He starts his counterargument towards the clergymen, ministers and civil leaders of Birmingham adequately; he wrote “You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham, but your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought...
Words: 941 - Pages: 4
...The Letter from Birmingham Jail essay is about Dr. Martin Luther King as he addresses questions from the surrounding clergyman in the Birmingham area about his protest. Dr. Martin Luther King explains why he came to Birmingham to help his committee as well as to help desegregate the extreme divide community of Birmingham in an effort to bring justice to the world and bring the community together to stop segregation as a whole. The Letter from Birmingham Jail essay is about Dr. Martin Luther King answering the question to several clergyman. He first explains his reasoning for being in Birmingham in that he has to help his committee. Dr. King then addresses that he is trying to bring justice to the community of Birmingham through his non-violent protest. He also explain why his non-violent methods are very efficient in role of stopping segregation. He also answers the to the protest being untimely as he explains the committee’s effort to wait for the perfect time so they can captivate the community but they could no longer wait any longer the conditions in the African-American community are dangerous and a threat to the society alone. Dr. King then states the segregation is an unjust because a majority group makes a minority group follow rules but these rules are not binding. King also explains just laws in that it is man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God and uplifts personality while, an unjust law is out of harmony with moral law and it degrades...
Words: 469 - Pages: 2
...Nick Genaris Professor Ngoh Protest Literature 21th October 2015 Letter from Birmingham Jail-Rhetorical Analysis Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in order to address the biggest issue in Birmingham and the United States at the time (racism) and to also address the critics he received from the clergymen. The letter discusses the great injustices happening toward the Black community in Birmingham and although it is primarily aimed at the clergymen King writes the letter for all to read. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Martin Luther King Jr. uses logos, alliteration/repetition, and ethos to back up his belief that nonviolent protesting and disobedience is the most effective means to protest anything that needs to be changed, in this case segregation. After reading King’s letter I, and almost anyone, would come to the conclusion that King is deeply motivated to help against any injustice in the US. Who else would go to such lengths if they didn’t? He knows how persuasive he can be by using his knowledge of the English language, and he uses this to speak out against people who doubt him (clergymen) and to incite a different way of thinking into the people in hopes of change. Dr. King’s letter is extremely effective because it provides an enormous amount of evidence to the reader that he and his company are being treated unjustly and also that King truly cares about making a change for the good of the city. It also re-directs attention...
Words: 1884 - Pages: 8
...imprisoned in Birmingham, Alabama for leading the non-violent demonstration against racial segregation and injustice. As Kind read the letter written by the eight local Clergymen, he then wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, in order to defend his action nonviolent actions. King uses many varieties of rhetoric strategies to exemplify his argument. He uses three Aristolean means of persuasion Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to establish his argument on the nonviolent protest movement. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, written from the Birmingham Jail, he uses ethos to establish the credibility on the subject of racial discrimination and injustice. King states in the letter “I have the honor of serving as president of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated...
Words: 666 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 468 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 882 - Pages: 4
...black people, marched into downtown Birmingham and protested against the unjust racial segregation. However, all the members involved in the march were arrested. In Jail, as a response to the letter written by the clergymen to stop the black’s demonstration, Martin Luther King wrote “The Letter From Birmingham Jail” back to the clergymen. King’s letter longs for the immediate need for non-violent and direct protest against the unjust and immoral segregation laws. The letter itself exemplifies all the aspects of arguments. However, to be little more specific, King’s effective and brilliant employment of ethos and pathos to persuade the audience plays the major role for his effective and remarkable argumentation in this letter. Effectively and successively utilizing ethos, King succeeds not only in disproving the clergymen referring King and his crew as “outsiders” but also in making his arguments more credible. In “Statement by Alabama Clergymen, April 12, 1963”, the clergymen refer Martin Luther King and other 53 black people to the term, “outsiders.” As a response to this, King starts off with the use of ethos in “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” to acknowledge the audience that he is not an outsider, but one of the clergymen in Birmingham Society. He greets the clergymen with the head of the letter, “My Dear Fellow Clergymen:” By using the word, “Fellow”, King implies that King himself is also a clergyman of a church in Birmingham society, not an outsider. It is definitely...
Words: 809 - Pages: 4
...of the civil rights activist is “1963 Birmingham civil rights campaign” because it was a primary source, she showed real emotions and feelings while telling everyone what happened when she was young, it showed police brutality. It is a primary source because she witnessed everything that happened and how the bombing when on and how she already knew what to do if a bombing happened. She saw how her mother was on the floor unconscious, how her father kept trying to open the door that was being pushed back from the bombing happening. When she talked about it her hands would twitch, she was about to cry once in a while and sometimes her voice was shaky. You can tell she still showed emotion...
Words: 923 - Pages: 4
...Tone and Writing Technique of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Many times, disagreements fail to bring an understanding to opposing sides because each side has different views on the subject at hand. In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attempts to establish an adequate definition of “just” and “unjust” laws. King knew he could not directly argue his beliefs of segregation because the clergymen made clear they were not impressed with anti-segregationists breaking the law. He knew in order to make a valid rebuttal he could not cause confrontation. What is most interesting about the letter is the style of writing King uses to argue for righteousness which compels the reader to share his views of anti-segregation. In the beginning of the letter, King writes “My Dear Fellow Clergymen” to address them in a warm, welcoming way. Also, the use of the word “fellow” puts King and the clergymen together in a sense, making the letter less of an attack. Because of this, the letter is set up to be intimate instead of just an argument against the clergymen. King continues to say that the clergymen are “men of genuine good will” with criticisms “sincerely set forth.” By giving them this acknowledgement, King makes the reader understand he is not attacking the clergymen. Attacking these religious men in the beginning of the letter could have potentially lost him the respect of the readers. In paragraph three, King states “just as the Apostle Paul left his village…so...
Words: 868 - Pages: 4
...primary goal of this movement was to end discrimination, social segregation, and racism. There were many Civil Rights Activists, however, the most visible and influential leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King was born on 15 January, 1929. He was a firm advocate of peaceful actions as a means to attain change. He was the leader of peaceful protests against the segregation of Negro people in America. However, his peaceful protests failed to bring equality. On top of that, the city government of Birmingham passed a legal provision banning street marches without permission. The black...
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
