Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail: A Powerful Voice for Civil Rights - Essay Sample

Introduction

Martin Luther King Junior is a famous activist for civil rights. He compiled several moving speeches in defense of civil rights, especially for the black people. However, his letter from Birmingham jail was exceptional and memorable. He wrote this letter while in Birmingham, Alabama in response to eight white clergymen's statements condemning his nonviolent protests. He was arrested while protesting against segregation of the white people to the blacks. The letter's intended audience was more than the 8 white religious leaders because it covered various concepts. In his response letter, King wrote to give reasons why he was in Birmingham Jail, why he felt obliged to break the laws and why he was disappointed by the white society.

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King begins by giving reasons why he was in Birmingham City despite him being a resident of Atlanta. He claims that he was there out of a special invitation from Christian Movement for Human Rights members that live in Birmingham. King happens to be the president of the association, and together with other Christians in the movement, they share financial and educational resources. He was particularly invited to join in the nonviolent anti-segregation protests which were happening in Birmingham. Another reason is that he was in Birmingham because there were injustices. "Beyond this, I am Birmingham because injustice is here" (King 1). He gives several examples of people who left their home towns to serve the purpose of justice. One example is Paul who, left his little Tarsus village to go and preach the gospel of Jesus. King points out that in Birmingham, there are all sorts of injustices. He adds that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (King 1). Consequently, anything that affects a person in America affects all the nation; therefore, he cannot be considered an outsider. King tells that the demonstrations in Birmingham were as a result of Negroes oppression, which left them no choice but starts the nonviolent camp gain in protest for their rights. King reasons that there have been several unsolved cases of Negroes' churches and homes bombing in the city. The Negroes anticipated to negotiate with the city leaders, but all they got was empty promises which never came to pass. Their patience wore out hence the need to take direct action.

King begins explaining his reasons for intending to break the laws by saying that the laws being broken were unjust. He puts a difference between just and unjust law by claiming that unfair laws are those that did not comply with human nature and God's law. Adding on the unfair laws, King points out that the whites have segregated the people of color. He states that the direct action the protests have taken has wholly followed the four necessary steps of the nonviolent campaigns. The four steps include proof of the existence of injustices, negotiating, personal-purification as well as taking direct action. King put it that the Negroes human rights have been disregarded. The blacks are tired of waiting on empty promises. He mentions some of the pressing issues calling for the negotiation persuasion.

"when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cannot go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television..." (King 2).

He also adds that motels would not host the Negros. They would be referred to as "niggers" by the whites. The black community had also been denied rights to vote. King indicates that there are some states in which not even a single Negro is a registered voter, despite their vast population.

King continues to press on their desire to break unjust laws ("Letter from Birmingham"). He says that segregation is an unjust law because it tends to intimidate personalities. The white supporters of segregation claim to be following the law. However, King challenges them by wondering whether the rules they followed had any moral values. He wonders whether the law observers questions the motive of the law, especially to examine the damage it can cause to humanity. King affirms that he would not think twice about asking people to disobey unjust requirements. He, on the other hand, recognizes the need to obey the just laws; without the law, there would be anarchy. King takes a step further to explain the meaning of unjust laws. He says that a law inflicted on minorities without their consent is unfair. He offers several examples of unjust laws. For instance, he was arrested for lacking permit to parade his protests. However, the just law turned to be unfair because the arrest was made to put weight on the segregation grounds. He compares unjust laws with a situation whereby a person is robbed, but the robber is not confronted. Instead, the deprived person is blamed for having possessions that were robbed. Those are some of the unjust laws the civil human rights movement were willing to break to call for the attention of the necessary negotiations.

King expressed his disappointment in the segregated society (Sails 6). To begin with, he confronts the white moderate. He has realized that the "White citizens' council" does not cause the delay for black freedom but the white moderate. The white moderates agree to order minus justice. They are converts to accept peace without truth. Consequently, they agree with the move towards unity but do not agree with the methods used. They are hypocrites. King mentions that it is this moderate that keep the Negroes waiting for their justice. He claims that a "lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection" (King 3). King asserts that a little black acceptance would mean much than full rejection that they currently experience. King points out that the clergymen claimed that his actions needed condemnation because even if peaceful, they intended to erupt violence. He reveals disapproval saying that one cannot be condemned for claiming what is rightfully his.

He showed his disappointment when the eight religious leaders called him an extremist. He at first protested against this claim. He later accepts that he is indeed a love extremist (Ali). King states that he lives in the midst of opposition from his fellow blacks who have received the segregation, the educated who feel special and the furious who thinks violence is the best way to handle segregation. However, his protests remain nonviolent and peaceful. King is only claiming the Negroes' birthrights, freedom. "Was Paul not an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ?" (King 4). King accepts to be an extremist so long as he is claiming his rights. He reveals his regret for thinking that the whites would understand the injustices of the American Negroes. He ascertains that the few whites who support the niggers are rotting in prison along with the blacks. They are considered as "dirty nigger lovers". King rushes to pot out his disappointment in the white church and its leadership. Except for a few churches, he says that he condemns the actions of the white churches as a lover of the church. King expected that when he began the Birmingham protests, the white churches would come to their aid by condemning the black injustices, which would have helped the states' leaders hear their grievances. On the contrary, some churches have asked their congregations to adhere to segregation. They have dismissed justice and the fighters of justice. The churches have referred to them as a social issue which the church should not be involved. King is also disappointed by the police brutality towards the Negroes. Worse of all, the churches have commended the police for their efforts to keep the peace. He claims that the church is a hypocrite who pretends to believe that the police is interested in keeping any order but implement the segregation law ("Analysis").

Conclusion

In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr, one among best writers and human rights activists of all time compiled: "The letter from Birmingham Jail" to state his reasons for being in Birmingham, need to break the law and his disappointment in the segregated society. King says that he was in Birmingham because he was invited for nonviolent protests. Besides, there were injustices in the city that needed to be solved. He affirmed to be willing to break the laws because the laws were unjust. King indicates that segregation, oppression, and voting rights denial were some of the unfair laws which he would not hesitate to break. King expressed his disappointment in the segregated society. He points out that the eight clergymen were unfair to claim that his actions were extreme. He also condemns most of the white churches for joining the segregation laws instead of fighting for justice. From my point of view, King's actions were bold and justifiable by the just judge. However, in the absence of fair law, he had to take direct action to call or demand negotiations.

Works Cited

"An Analysis of Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" - 683 Words | Assessment Example." Ivypanda - 24/7 Homework Help | Free Essays | Study Hub, 13 May 2010, ivypanda.com/essays/an-analysis-of-martin-luther-kings-letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/. Accessed 6 July 2019.

Ali B. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.]." The Africa Center, www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. Accessed 6 July 2019.

King Jr, Martin L. "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Aug. 1963, pp. 1-6, web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/letter_birmingham_jail.pdf. Accessed 6 July 2019.

"Letter from Birmingham Jail Summary & Analysis." LitCharts, 2019, www.litcharts.com/lit/letter-from-birmingham-jail/summary-and-analysis. Accessed 6 July 2019.

SAILS, Tremaine T. "A Case Study Analysis of the "Letter from Birmingham Jail": Conceptualizing the Conscience of King through the Lens of Paulo Freire." vol. 8, no. 1, Jan. 2017, pp. 1-13, trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1360&context=pursuit. Accessed 6 July 2019.