When King worked with local groups such as the ACHMR, he often became the focus of media attention, resulting in local segregationists viewing him and SCLC as outsiders who were disrupting their community. During the 1950s and 1960s, Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the South with strict city ordinances that made it unlawful for different races to mix and mingle in almost all social settings.īecause the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was a national organization that worked to support local, grassroots campaigns for civil rights, they wee often accused of being outside agitators. Although the text remains in substance unaltered, I have indulged in the author's prerogative of polishing it for publication.'.īirmingham was the largest city in Alabama with a population of approximately 225,000.

Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me. Ramage and the Reverend Earl Stallings) was composed under somewhat constricting circumstances. Grafman, Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop Holan B.

Text to Text: The Martin Luther King Jr.'This response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama (Bishop C.Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Letter From a Birmingham Jail – HistoryNet.The support is extremely important to desegregation which must be done as segregation is unjust and America was built on the idea of justice. They can help change it if they so choose to give support. He also appeals to guilt and sympathy when he describes an,”.old, oppressed, battered Negro women (40).” This forces the clergymen to think about and visualize a poor, old, hurt and helpless woman to make them feel pity and guilt about the treatment to those in the community. this appeals to the clergymen’s guilt by portraying the story of forced labor which is the exact opposite of what America was founded on:the idea that all men are created equal. To showcase the injustice that has been going on for so long he explains, “for more than two centuries…labored… without wages…suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation (38).” Reminding them of this shows the injustice that the African American community has suffered through their entire existence in America. Lastly, King uses allusion and imagery through logos to appeal to the clergymen’s emotions to gain their help and support. To get to this, citizens must make it a point of importance to negotiate and make change which is where the clergymen come in they have a lot of influence on the people of their communities. It is much more productive and civil to sit down rationally and calmly and talk, which is the communication goal to make change peacefully from King and his followers. The whole situation looks worse in the media to fight non-violence with violence. In regards to the non-violent approach, King explains that through that with tension, “It will inevitably open the door to negotiation (11).” Since the non-violent movement causes tension people must pay attention. This is because we should all help each other gain equality and justice in the world, and just generally be treated respectfully as humans. He argues that, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (4).” which is obviously true and makes sense. King uses logos to provide sound logic and argument through parallel structure and “if-then” structure to help gain support from the clergymen. Therefore, it is a moral, and religious obligation for them to help with desegregation. These shared ideas help him appeal to them on a personal level ethically, as desegregation and the treatment of the African Americans throughout history have been anything but ethical. He later argues that, “ was not Martin Luther an extremist Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, so help me god (28).” This helps demonstrate his religious values that are shared with the clergymen which shows them that they are not that different from him which helps him gain their trust as he is one of their own their ethical views come from the same beliefs and values. This position holds value as it is revealing to the clergymen as he is not just a follower, but a leader showing strength in beliefs. He begins by declaring that he has, “the honor of serving as President of the Southern Leadership Conference (2).” By revealing this early on, he establishes credibility as well as reveal one of his own qualifications.

Letter from birmingham jail annotations