MLK's Letter From a Birmingham Jail
Read this famous letter and answer the following questions.
1. Who is MLK's target audience?
2. King faced criticism for being in Birmingham as an outsider. Explain this criticism, and his response to it (his rationale for being there).
3. Describe the four basic steps for a nonviolent campaign, as outlined by King
4. Explain, in detail, King’s reaction to the advice “wait” and “give us time to act”.
5. Dr. King describes what a just laws look like. Additionally, he explains at length some ways in which laws can be unjust. Using King’s description of just vs. unjust law, create a “just law rubric” or “just law checklist”. ( Be sure to examine what it means for a law to be just “on it’s face but not in application”)
6. King is more disappointed with the white moderate than with the KKK… please explain this phenomenon. How could King be more upset with moderate whites than violent extremists like clansmen?
7. How is King viewed by fellow clergymen (church leaders)? How does he feel about being viewed this way?
8. Finally, compare MLK to Thoreau? Are there any obvious connections between the two authors??
1) In this letter MLK is addressing the critics of the nonviolent protests, those who say their protests are "untimely" and "irrational".
ReplyDelete2) People had the criticism that King's approval and participation here (even though he was from Atlanta) was just to instigate things further, and they believed he had no reason being in Birmingham. King compares himself to Paul the apostle, by saying he goes to spread the message of freedom everywhere it is needed, including Birmingham.
3) First of all, origin of a nonviolent protest must start with the collection of facts to make sure that there actually is oppression going on. The second is negotiation, meaning there must first be an effort to settle things in conversation before anything else. Next, comes self-purification, which means going through the process to make sure each person is really ready to nonviolently protest, knowing the direct and possibly dangerous results that may follow. Lastly comes direct action.
4) MLK recognizes there are critics who are saying that these nonviolent protests are untimely and that they should just wait-- but he goes on to describe the situations African-Americans at that time had to deal with, and then challenges his critics to "wait" in those same circumstances.
5) The way he describes a just law would be one that coincides with God's law-- and government rules or laws that go against God's law would be unjust, which is cause for civil disobedience.
6) The KKK and other white supremacists have voiced their hatred for the civil rights movement and have fully supported keeping segregation. Moderate whites, on the other hand, either try to remain "neutral" or have voiced support for the civil rights movement while at the same time doing nothing to actually help or support the fight for freedom. He is also upset with these people because they fail to fully understand the urgency of the matter at hand.
7) There are a few church leaders that have backed King's cause, but there are far more who are disappointingly insensitive to the fight for civil rights. At this time, there are many clergymen who simply felt it was better to go with the status quo of society (which at that time was pro-segregation), and King was upset about this, and believed this was a huge problem.
8) There are obvious connections between the two, and their willingness to stand for what was right, while enduring the trials and tribulations that would follow as a result. Both of these men were proud to civilly disobey the unjust laws and commands of their time, in hopes of producing a new stream of true justice and freedom for others. Some might argue that Thoreau's night in jail wasn't anything compared to the beatings and abuse of millions of African-Americans, but that main idea of truth still prevails in each example, just as it does with the movements lead by people like Gandhi and Mandela.
Eustace Eusebio
ReplyDelete1). MLK wrote his letter in response to his critics, the ones who classified his protests as "unwise and untimely."
2). The people of Birmingham called him an "outside agitator," and that he wasn't helping with the situation. He said he came there because he was invited and has organizational ties there. He compares himself to Paul, saying that he must spread his message beyond his hometown.
3). Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action.
First they must find evidence if there are actual problems, negotiate between the two parties to find an agreement first, and if that doesn't work, it would lead to preparing the protesters for nonviolent protest, and they must then carry out the plan.
4). MLK explains why "waiting" has not been a proper solution, as "waiting" would turn into "never." They have waited while suffering the oppression, violence, and abuse, and held onto the promises only to figure out they were just lies. He challenges them to "wait" if they were under these conditions.
5). He believes that an unjust law is no law at all. A just law is a man-made code that is compatible with the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust, therefore all segregation laws are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.
6). MLK states that "the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the KKK, but the white moderate." The ones who say they support the cause and agree with the goal of equality, but are passive, and not have any actions that back their word. MLK also criticizes the fact that the critics believe that time will heal all wounds, but that is untrue, as the wound does not magically heal by itself.
7). MLK commends the clergymen who agree with him, the ones who allow unsegregated services. They are the few exceptions of clergymen who aren't in agreement with him. They don't believe that they should go against the laws of segregation, as it doesn't pertain to the gospel message. MLK is disappointed with his fellow clergymen, and finds current churches having a weak and ineffectual voice.
8). They're similar in many ways. They both had a set of values that they stuck to, and not only did they profess about them, but carried out actions to support their teachings. They carried out actions of civil disobedience, without violence and hate, with having the hope of a bright future with "liberty and justice for all." They suffered through trials, but pushed on through. Also. They're people. So that's a big connection.
1.) He was writing this to the people who said the protest was badly timed and not rational.
ReplyDelete2.) The criticism was he was an outsider and had no reason to bring his ideas and protest to another city such as Birmingham. MLK responded by comparing himself to Paul and also comparing his message the Christian message saying he needs to spread this message to all corners of America.
3.) First comes the facts, collect facts to make sure the injustice of the situation is real. Then negotiate, maybe there is no need for a protest and you just need to talk it out. Then self-purification, make sure every one gets the non-violent part of the protest and also what comes with being non-violently protesting. Lastly comes action, if all else fails take action against it.
4.) He is saying the "wait" is the equivalent to "I'll do it tomorrow" It just keeps getting put off. MLK also says you try to just wait it out when you've been constantly been suffering and suffering.
5.) Just law should be harmonious with Gods law. And these laws that MLK was protesting didn't go along with God's law, which is an example of an unjust law.
6.) He says the white moderate is worse because they say they support it but they never act on it. The KKK voice their opinions and believe in it full heartly but the white moderate stay nuetral. Which is hindering their cause much more than the KKK.
7.) He was dissapointed in his fellow clergymen, he believed the church should be the most against segregation but the church didn't want to go against the tide on this subject because it wasn't important. MLK was upset from a lack of a stand against segration by the church from this huge problem in America.
8.) They both got jailed for their opinions and beliefs and they disobeyed in a civil way. The situatuons may be different in extremity but they are very similar on a surface level.
1.) MLK is writing in response to a cautionary statement made by 8 white religious leaders from the South and their sympathizers saying his actions were "unwise and untimely."
ReplyDelete2.) He explains to those accusing him of being an outsider, purely there to instigate, that he has every right to be there. He states that he has organizational ties through the SCLC and was requested to be there, then he likens himself to the Apostle Paul, saying that he will go where there is injustice, even Birmingham, he "must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid".
3.) "Collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action." It was blatantly obvious that the judicial system was racially unjust. They had tries very route of possible negotiation, and every effort had been shot down. From there, they had conferences and workshops to help prepare for a nonviolent protest, and when all else failed, they took direct action.
4.) MLK brings attention to the fact that freedom has never once been freely handed from the oppressors to the oppressed and that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our God-given and constitutional rights." So "wait" is just a quick tranquilizer that runs into "never." He challenges those critics to endure the unthinkable cruelty that the African-Americans were experiencing everyday then try to wait. "The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter."
5.) He begins by quoting St. Augustine in that an unjust law is no law at all, and is not under any obligation to be followed. He says that a just law is a man-made code in harmony with God's natural moral code. An unjust law is out of synch with scripture, one that a majority "inflicts upon a minority that isn't binding on itself", and one that is made without the consent of minority because they AREN'T GIVEN A VOTE. A law can also be perfectly innocent on the surface, but can have immoral intentions and be enforced to hinder right.
6.) He echoes John in Revelation when he speaks about the church of Laodicea and states that the the KKK is at least promoting some sort of change, but that the white moderate is more devoted to order than justice. "Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."
7.) He commends the leaders who have backed him, but are sorely disappointed in those amazingly indifferent to civil injustice. He believes that the absence of the church in his fight is a monumental issue.
8.) The two are fundamentally similar in their principles of standing up for their beliefs. They both set their butts in jail in hopes of justice for the African-American population. And they both believed in the relativity of obligations to follow unjust laws.
~Golda
1. This speech was very important during the civil rights movement and was a contributing factor in the end of racial injustice in society. The intended audience of "I Have a Dream" is white people. In his speech, Martin Luther King Jr.'s allusions were meant to connect with the white people that listened to his speech.
ReplyDelete2. King felt that his cause was the same as the cause of struggle in Birmingham. His text pretty much explains this:
I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago, the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So, I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.
But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saithe the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.
3.In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps:
1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive
2) negotiation
3) self-purification
4) direct action.
4. I think King could understood the changes of his advocated would take some any time. And that being successful in pulling off these changes would mean being patient and understanding that change like this doesn't happen overnight. The reforms he saw were 'evolutionary' not 'revolutionary'.
5. Just Law Checklist:
-Must not have anything to do with segregation
-Must be in harmony with the moral law
-Must uplift a human
-Must not provide a sense of inferiority or superiority If any of these items are not checked, then the law is unjust.
. King is more upset with moderate whites than with the KKK because he said at least the KKK knows what they believe in. Sure, they are against blacks, but they stand up for what they believe in. The moderate whites are for and against the blacks. They do not have a specific side because they are just trying to act like they care, but they do not.
7. Although respected, many white clergy criticized King for instigating violence through his demonstrations and passive resistance against the law. King believed that this view was unfair because American blacks had achieved very little by using regular political channels. King believed that their only option for equality was through demonstration and peaceful resistance.
8. I strongly believe that just as Henry David Thoreau was greatly influenced by the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s thinking was greatly influenced by that of Thoreau's. India’s Mahatma Gandhi most probably more influenced him; however, Gandhi's principles were mainly based on those of Thoreau. Though Thoreau lived more than 100 years before the time of King, his thinking remained an influential legacy. They each wrote based on contemporary events that had been going on in their time, pursuing the same type of objective: equality and justice among mankind.
By Ruby Cazun
Kings. All of you.
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