Letters From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr

Letters From Birmingham

Jail

Martin Luther King Jr.


Born into a family of baptist ministers

Went to school in Atlanta, GAplanned to study medicine and law

decided to commit himself to ministryfocus on struggle for racial equality


●Went to school up north for ministry○Gandhi made a critical

impression on him●Received doctorate in theology

at Boston University

Martin Luther King JR.

Leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)- lasted 382 days

Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)

formed in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger

boycott ended when buses were desegregated

Through nonviolence MLK lead boycotts, marches, and sit ins to protest segregation, injustice, and the economic oppression of African Americans

Most eloquent and influential leader in the civil rights movement


Martin Luther King JR.“Letters from a

Birmingham Jail”1963crystalized the Civil

rights movements goals and methods with this speech

“I Have a Dream”4 months laterorganized a march to Washington DC

delivered his most famous speech


King became a martyr for freedom, even though he stressed nonviolence

assassinated in Memphis, TNApril 4, 1968

Wife and Children help to keep his message alive

King traveled over 6 million miles and gave more than 2,500 speeches

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964

Letter From Birmingham Jail

● Wrote this letter in response to eight white clergymen who criticized him for leading protests against racial segregation

● MLK invoked freedom as the heritage of all Americans, not just whites

● Concedes that the B. Police did not act violently in public against the demonstrators

● felt real heroes were the nonviolent protesters who were willing to take punishment for a cause

Letter From Birmingham Jail

Read the article from the clergymen in the newspaper

without proper writing paper, King drafted a response (this letter) in the cramped margins of that exact newspaper

Letters from a Birmingham Jail

Highlights from ¶ 1“I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham

Meaning of Quote1.he will stand

behind what he believes- freedom and equality for all americans


Who were the African American’s here before, according to MLK?Pilgrims landed at PlymouthJefferson wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence

more than 2 centuries of laboring without wages


MLK fully believes that Slavery did not beat or break down African Americans, and if they can survive that- they will overcome this and achieve their freedom!


When responding to the Clergymen Directly:he says that there is a statement that troubles him

he does not agree with their commending of the Birmingham police for “keeping order”


Ways for which Clergymen praised B.Policeangry, violent dogs literally biting 6, unarmed-nonviolent Negroes

ugly/inhumane treatment of Negroes in the jail

pushing/cursing old Negro Women and Young girls

slapping/kicking old Negro Men and young boys

refusing to give them food for singing grace together


MLK views on nonviolence:nonviolenent demands must have as pure as the end we seek.

Publicly nonviolentpolice have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of flagrant racial injustice


MLK feels strongly that one day the south will recognize its true heros:

he considers the true heros to be those that took nonviolent actions and endured the violence of others.


MLK apologizes for many things in this speech

1.apologizes for taking up to much of the white man's “precious time”

2.if he has said anything that is an overstatement of the truth and is indicative of an unreasonable impatience

3.if he has said anything that is an understatement of the truth or having less patience than a brotherhood.


says there is not much to do in the narrow jail cell other than

1.writing long letters2.thinking strange thoughts3.saying long prayers


he hopes that he and the white clergymen will meet again soon

but not as a civil rights leader

but when they achieve equality and he can meet with them as a clergyman and christian brother.


Reading Strategy1. what are the details

King uses to support his main idea about police treatment of protestors?a. police allowing

their dogs to bite demonstrators, pushing/cursing/kicking people, witholding food

Reading Check1. According to King,

who are the South’s real heros?a. the protestors are

the real heroes of the south who practice NONVIOLENCE


Quiz Yourself:1.In Paragraph 1, what parallel structure does King use in these sentences?

2.what effect do these parallel structures have?


Answers:1.in the first lines, King says “i have no despair” and “I have no fear”. Next he uses the parallelism of “the goal of freedom” and “the goal of America” he repeats the words “freedom” and “Destiny”

2.the parallelism links and balances ideas, and it creates a rhythm that makes the writing enjoyable and memorable.


Quiz Yourself:1.In Paragraph 2, identify the main idea King is pointing out?

2.What is King’s key idea in the final paragraph?


Answers:1.the main idea is that the police treated the demonstrators badly, often violently.

2.King hopes that peace and brotherhood will replace fear and misunderstanding

Letters from a Birmingham JailCritical Reading

1.A. In the first paragraph, what reasons does King give for his confidence in the outcome of the struggle?

1.B. why do you think he emphasizes his attitude about the outcome?


1.A- King says that he is confident because the goal of America is freedom because African Americans have struggled without giving up

1.B-King wants to demonstrate his conviction that what is happening is right. he also may want to suggest that he will never give in.


2. What two points does King make about the means by which a just goal should be reache? Explain.


2. he says that it is wrong to use immoral means to achieve moral ends and that it is equally wrong to use moral means to gain immoral ends.

Documents

Letters From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr