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Summary Of Martin Luther King Jr Letter From Birmingham Jail

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“I Have a Dream,” most famously quoted by former Civil Rights 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 …show more content…
King as being able to be delayed no longer. Dr. King portrays himself as someone of awareness by expressing the questions that his actions may form such as, “Why direct action, why sit-ins, marches, and so forth?”, or “Isn’t negotiation a better path?” Dr. King completes his view of direct action’s purpose as, “to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation” (Letter from Birmingham Jail

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