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Hannah Pettersson

HIST-1700-405-sp18

Dr. Jenel Cope

April 9, 2018

The Letter From a Birmingham Jail

The Civil Rights Movement was a turning point for minorities, especially African

Americans in America. It was a movement for African Americans to have the same legal rights

as other Americans already had. It was a movement that lasted for a decade between the 1950’s

and the 1960’s. The Civil War abolished slavery but it didn’t end the discrimination against

black people. African Americans along with white Americans marched for the equality under the

law of the United States. Civil rights activists like Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Emmett Till, and

Nelson Mandela fought for social injustice and are a huge part of Black History. The most

renowned civil right activist was Martin Luther King J.R.. His methods of peaceful protest and

speech are studied and used today. One of his letters that is still very well studied is his Letter

from a Birmingham Jail. The Letter from a Birmingham Jail is an important document from the

civil rights movement because Martin Luther King Jr letter explains the importance of

nonviolent protest campaigns through negotiations, knowing when something is unjust and

acting on it, and the whole reason for the civil rights movement: fighting for the civil equality for

African Americans.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a historical icon. His words, quotes, and motivational speeches

are still admired and studied in the modern decade. His protests were based on love and peace. In

the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, there are a few quotes that stood out. A large topic in the
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letter and in the Civil Rights Movement was nonviolent protest. There was one quote that stood

out. “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a

community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. If seeks so

dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.” In order to get the attention that a group

wants, they need to create tension in order to get the action needed from the other group. Martin

Luther King Jr. was very well known for his productive nonviolent protests. He explains the

importance of being able to make a change without using violence as an option. Using

nonviolence is a more respectable, safe, and effective way to make a difference without anyone

getting hurt. He mentions that there are four basic steps in a nonviolent campaign: Collection of

the fact to determine whether injustice exists, negotiation, self purification, and direct action.

Martin Luther King Jr. mentions that his colleagues and him have done all these steps and

they’re still struggling to see results. There were promises made to remove store signs that were

humiliating to African Americans. When they discovered nothing was being done, they realized

they we the victims of a broken promise. One of the basic steps is direct action. As mentioned

before, direct action creates tension. “There is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension that is

necessary for growth.” The purpose of Martin Luther King Jr’s direct action is to create a

situation so intense that it inevitably open up to negotiation.

Another topic that was mentioned very frequently in the letter is acting when something

is unjust. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that it was important to be present anywhere there was

injustice. It was important to him to act as soon as possible and don’t listen to people when they

told him to wait. He says this in the letter. “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned

about what happened in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Taking action is the only way to see a difference. He believed that him being in that jail is an
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important part of making a difference in the civil rights movement. He was sent to that jail

because he and others were protesting the negative treatment of African Americans in

birmingham. This letter is the sole explanation for his reason for taking action through his

nonviolent protests. He explains the difference between an unjust law and a just law. He first

states that “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one

has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” It’s important to respect and obey laws.

They’re created to protect the public. But, if a law goes against moral truths and is unjust, than it

is only right to disobey that law and fight for it to be redacted. A just law is a man made code

that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony

with the moral law. Martin Luther King Jr. mentions, “sometimes a law is just on its face and

unjust in its applications.” When a law is passed, it’s important to understand the purpose of the

law and enforce it for what it was intended. It was upsetting that laws were being passed

intending to establish equality, yet the laws that were being passed were being interpreted wrong

and enforced to benefit white people. Injustice needs to be exposed. The letter mentions,

“Injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human

conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.” In ordered for injustice to be

resolved, it needs to be recognized first. Then, it requires someone to take action and let people

know that injustice is occurring and must be stopped.

The civil rights movement gave the push that African Americans needed to gain equality

in America. Martin Luther King Jr was their public voice. Through his “I have a dream” speech

and the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, he’s able to give a voice to the people that don’t have

one. The whole purpose of the civil right movement was to gain the civil equality through the

law of the united states. Fighting for that freedom was the hardest part. Dealing with racial,
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mobs, organizations, and government officials, it was hard not to have hate toward the white

man. In the letter, a very strong, powering quote stands out. “Whatever affects one directly,

affects all indirectly.” Rosa Parks getting kicked off a bus and sent to jail didn’t just affect her,

but it affected the entire black community. Emmett Till didn’t die for nothing. Thanks to his

mother, she displayed the hate that was in America all over the TV screens and papers. His death

started a revolution. When something unjust is happening somewhere other than someone home.

Town, that shouldn’t be the reason they don’t do something. People realized that if the have a

voice, use it. If their voice isn’t strong enough, help the ones whose voice is the loudest.

The freedom movement of the 1950’s through the 1960’s was a movement that stills

affects the world in 2018. Quotes, film, speeches, books, and more are still studied and taught

today. Martin Luther King Jr. will always be remembered as the civil rights leader. Listening to

the stories about this man is so motivational and moving. Some describe him as a man with only

love in his heart. He showed love for every single person he met. This letter is explaining his

disappointments, his reasons, and more about the movement. Having unjust laws towards

African Americans and the racial experiences is one of reason they fought for equality. The

topics being taught in the Letter from a Birmingham Jail can teach someone how to love, respect,

and fight for a more just world.

Resources:

Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail

https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html