“Letter From Birmingham Jail” Is Addressed To Several...

â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is addressed to several clergymen who had written an open letter criticizing the actions of Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during their protests in Birmingham. Dr. King tells the clergymen that he was upset about their criticisms, and that he wishes to address their concerns. First, he notes their claim that he is an â€Å"outsider† who has come to Birmingham to cause trouble. He defends his right to be there in a straightforward, unemotional tone, explaining that the SCLC is based in Atlanta but operates throughout the South. One of its affiliates had invited the organization to Birmingham, which is why they came. However, he then provides a moral reason for his presence, saying†¦show more content†¦In particular, the black community has waited long enough. Dr. King insists that the black man has waited â€Å"more than 340 years† for justice, and he then launches into a litany of abuses that his people have suffered both over time and in his present day. Amongst these abuses is his experience explaining to his young daughter why she cannot go to the â€Å"public amusement park† because of her skin color. Because the black man has been pushed â€Å"into the abyss of despair,† Dr. King hopes that the clergymen will excuse his and his brethren’s impatience. Dr. King then switches gears, noting that the clergymen are anxious over the black man’s â€Å"willingness to break laws.† He admits that his intention seems paradoxical, since he expects whites to follow laws that protect equality, while breaking others. However, he then distinguishes between just and unjust laws, insisting that an individual has both a right and a responsibility to break unjust laws. He defines just laws as those that uphold human dignity, and unjust laws as those that â€Å"degrade human personality.† Unjust laws, he argues, hurt not only the oppressed, but also the oppressors, since they are given a false sense of superiority. He then speaks specifically of segregation, describing it as unjust. Because it is a law that a majority forces the minority to follow while exempting itself from it, it is a law worth breaking. Further, because Alabama’s laws work to prohibitShow MoreRelatedEssay on Analysis of Martin Luther Kings 1219 Words   |  5 Pagesinfluential are the best adjectives to explain Letter from Birmingham Jail. Martin Luther King Jrs astuteness is enhanced by the astonishing capability to show the unkind and heartless attitude against black community. Throughout the whole writing to the eight clergymen Jr. never get too far from the clash for fairness in Birmingham. As head of the South Christians Leadership Conferences (SCLC), Martin L. King, Junior., in the year 1963 acknowledged Birmingham, Alabama, as possibly the most carefullyRead MoreOutline And Objective Of A Persuasive Text1284 Words   |  6 Pageshave an empty picture. Evidence and reasoning are the two basic pieces of your persuasive letter. Without these, you’ll simply have a frame—your claim—without information to complete the argument. Explaining how things connect for your reader is one of the most important ways to strengthen your argument. Today s lesson objective is: Students will be able to develop an analysis using relevant evidence from texts to support claims, opinions, ideas, and inferences. When reading a persuasive textRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr1689 Words   |  7 PagesLuther King Jr. led a protest in Birmingham, Alabama that focused on the unfair treatment and the segregation of African Americans. The court ruled that he was not allowed to hold protests. Therefore, he was arrested and placed in Birmingham Jail. 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King’s purpose bolstered in his â€Å"Letter† and â€Å"Dream† speech by key rhetorical devices are supported by audience oriented diction and appeals. King’s rhetoricalRead MoreMlk Jr.’S â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail†1325 Words   |  6 PagesMLK Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† While unaware of the impact this would have on the American people, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† turned into an iconic piece of American history. King’s tremendous work as a civil rights activist through non-violent protest changed our day-to-day life, and his words captured the entire American population. King was persuasive due to his genuine nature and passion for his work, which is easily communicated in his writing. SpecificallyRead MoreDr. King s Letter From Birmingham Jail1342 Words   |  6 PagesDr. King Lays the Clergymen’s Anxiety to Rest Dr. Martin Luther King addressed many topics in, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. He answered all the issues that were aimed towards him in a very skillful and well thought out manner. These issues came from, â€Å"A Call For Unity†, which was a letter that was published by eight local clergymen expressing their feelings about what Dr. King was doing. One concern in particular that King did an outstanding job of confronting was that of the clergymen’s anxietyRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther King Jr. Essay1996 Words   |  8 PagesKing Jr. wrote a letter while incarcerated in Birmingham jail to eight clergymen in response to their letter known as â€Å" A Call For Unity.†   The letter asked for the halt of direct action type protest in Birmingham, Alabama that Martin Luther King was leading.   The letter has become known as one of the greatest works of argument in American history. Part of the reason for the letter’s notoriety and effectiveness is due to its eloquent use of pathos. King’s use of pathos in his letter not only supportsRead MoreAfrican Americans And The New State Constitution1836 Words   |  8 PagesIn Birmingham, Alabama between 1957 and 1962 seventeen black churches and homes had been bombed, racial tension continued to grow, and more and more African Americans were being killed. Although the population of Birmingham was 40% African American, there seemed little hope for a political solution to the racial divide; of 80,000 registered voters, only 10,000 were black due to a barrier that was placed on the new state constitution of Alabama. One of these barriers was an annual poll tax that had