Martin Luther King, Jr.

Joy Marie Prior
Professor Harris
17 November 2009
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
When I hear civil rights, I imagine Martin Luther King, Jr. frozen in a black and white photo standing at a pulpit shouting “I have a dream,” into a big microphone. On the issue of segregation I cannot think of someone more quoted than Martin Luther King, Jr. In April 1963 King wrote, from Birmingham Jail on scraps of newspaper, a letter in response to the article “Call for Unity,” written by eight white Alabama clergymen. They wanted the people to stop protesting and allow the civil courts to handle to situation. He wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” during a period of high racial tension. His use of “you” throughout the paper and detailed descriptions paint an inspiring vision of the black community’s struggle against discrimination for the reader that touched me personal as my understanding of King developed.
Historical Context
In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama was at the cutting edge of racial tension. “Bull” Connor (head of police in Birmingham) encouraged officers to use high pressured hoses, dogs, beatings, and any effective form of violence that impaired King’s supporters. Against King’s wishes, his campaign invited teenage children to walk in their parades. Despite their age, they were shown no mercy by the police, and many of them were imprisoned. Eventually, Doctor King himself was charged for protesting without a permit and placed in solitary confinement where he wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Critical Analysis
Martin Luther King, Jr. invites the reader to experience racial discrimination before he builds himself up as an advocate for freedom. The first portion of King’s letter summarizes what inspired him, and has a basic introduction for his thesis. The conclusion section (and meat of the paper) defines Martin Luther King, Jr. and his cause as just. Bridging the two sections is a paragraph detailing the hardships of discrimination without taking a pleading tone. King paints an intimate image for the reader when he says, “you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park.” King uses “I feel” or “we feel” throughout the body of this paragraph sparingly, and “you” or “your” 25 times. As in the sentence above King does not tell the reader “my tongue is twisted,” but “your tongue is twisted.” He clearly wants the audience to experience discrimination and not simply recognize it. This paragraph is important to have prior to the remainder of the text because once the reader understands the physical, personal, and emotional pains that come from discrimination, he or she is more willing to sympathize with Martin Luther King, Jr. rather than justifying racist actions as logical, or even godly.
After describing his perspective of discrimination, King expresses the feeling that the reader should have a clear understanding of what it feels like to be victimized. The closing line reads, “I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.” Notice how he does not end the last sentence with a question; it appears that Martin Luther is not asking the reader if they understand what it feels like to be discriminated against, but telling them. After he believes his readers understand his perspective he proceeds to build his argument.
Personal Reflection
What impacted me the most was the way in which Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed me. Although the letter is officially addressed to the clergymen it is clear through his text he is calling to a larger audience. The simple fact that he published it in the newspaper supports this claim. Truthfully, before reading “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” I did not understand much about Martin Luther King, Jr.: I knew there is a holiday for him and whenever anyone mentions his name there is some sort of reverence in the room, but I had never fully comprehended or appreciated who Martin Luther King, Jr. was.
Besides being in awe of King’s brilliance after reading “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” I am left wondering what it would feel like to go through the things that he experienced. I find myself continually wondering what it would be like to be a member of the black community, white sympathizers, or a member of the eight clergymen. As of yet I have not been able to imagine what it would be like to be Martin Luther King, Jr. My mind played with the image of me sitting in the jail cell with a pen in one hand and an unfolded newspaper in the other. That is as far as I get, though; I cannot imagine myself writing the letter. My own cry against racism would seem like a bicycle horn squeaking one constant weak beep compared to the sonic boom of King’s message. I love knowing that Martin Luther King, Jr. is addressing me specifically in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” because, as I understand what he experienced a little better, my cry against discrimination strengthens.
Work Cited
King, Martin Luther Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Reading for Intensive Writers. Ed. Susan Jorgensen.