Letter from Birmingham Jail Background Quiz

Background

• Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested on April 12, 1963, during a peaceful march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.
• He was arrested for not having a parade permit and was held in a jail cell, where he wrote the Letter from Birmingham on scraps of paper.
• The letter was initially circulated as a mimeographed copy, then published in various formats, including pamphlets, articles, and a memoir.

Purpose of the Letter

• The letter was written to address criticism from local clergy and religious leaders who had condemned King's methods.
• King explains why he and his fellow protesters were taking action, and expresses his disappointment in the clergy's lack of support.
• He argues that citizens, church, and state have a responsibility to stand up for social justice and civil rights.

Key Quotes

• "You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations."
• "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
• "I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate..."
• "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself."
• "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny."

Analysis

• King uses his experience as a Baptist minister and Christian knowledge to compare the Birmingham protesters to early Christians.
• He humanizes African Americans and protesters by pointing to the psychological and emotional pain caused by segregation.
• King distinguishes law and justice, questioning the validity of laws that punish him for standing up against the poor treatment of African Americans.
• He connects his goal to create discomfort, making citizens unable to stand aside and look the other way.
• King's letter is structured to respond to the nine criticisms laid forth by his fellow clergymen, disarming each charge and arguing for the need to take action for social justice and equality.