Question

USING LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL- MLK

1. Was Dr. King effective in achieving his purpose for his given audience? What would you have done differently to improve his chances of efficacy? What would have been a worse response in your mind? Find moments in the text to support your claims.

Answer 1

In my opinion, Dr. Martin Luther King achieved the momentum and synergy that was much needed for the Civil Rights Movements in achieving whatever they were fighting for. It was written in an authoritative tone and at the same time without disrespecting anyone. It was very compelling that it also earned more white support to him.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King which was written in 1963 to the public is one of the best texts in the history of American Civil Rights Movements which justifies the use of non-violent resistance to racism. It suggests that people have a moral responsibility to fight unjust laws that suppress them in a peaceful way. He also stated in his letter in response to the criticism that he was an outsider causing trouble in Birmingham by saying that anyone who lives inside the United States is not an outsider. This brought solidarity and belongingness among those who were fighting for their rightful place in America. His famous line, ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’ brought sea of change in American Civil Rights Movements and in motivating people to fight as one group in a non-violent way, rather than fighting individually in a violent way.