Essay Example on Martin Luther King

Introduction

Before Martin Luther King landed in Birmingham jail, a few events had shaped his subsequent cause that led to his writing from prison. In essence, the entire period of the 1960s depicted an era that transformed everything in his life. All the latter changes were geared towards the Civil Rights movement, to which Martin Luther King was widely acclaimed to be an ardent and brave trailblazer of the movement. Amid his leadership role in the movement, Martin Luther King received an invitation to Birmingham, where he was to spearhead a peaceful protest. Nonetheless, he was apprehended during the rally and jailed on the ground that he participated in a peaceful demonstration against seclusion. While Martin Luther King was still an inmate, eight clergymen of white descent issued a public declaration of concern and caution to condemn his protests. Hence, King was compelled to write a letter from the Birmingham jail as his rejoinder. He wrote the letter on newspapers’ side margins using various methods in the epistle to contend against these religious leaders.

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Several Motives

There are several motives rather reasons as to why Martin Luther King wrote to these clergymen in particular. First, the letter from these religious leaders was full of invalid, flawed, and baseless sentiments. These clergymen had written to demonstrate to the Birmingham folks that Martin Luther King was a troubler and problem creator in the city. They asserted that King was an outsider and wrote a couple of times concerning unwelcomed outsiders. Additionally, these religious leaders held an inherent conviction that King was the cause of violence in Birmingham and that he should let the court of law address any instances of segregation in the city. Finally, as if the injustices and inequalities that were transpiring would vanish in the thin air with time, they insisted that he ought to wait. Nevertheless, Martin Luther King, having the necessary upfront knowledge required to address this situation, resolved to use a peaceful and effective letter from Birmingham jail.

Martin Luther King contends that he is in Birmingham for one chief reason. That he was invited to this state and being the Southern Christian Leadership Conference president, he had an intrinsic urge and necessity to physically avail himself to portray his support to the affiliates in the Birmingham state. Moreover, Martin Luther King feels that it goes beyond this sole reason due to the preexisting conditions of racial injustices occurring in the state. King articulates that all the community in Birmingham state is submerged in racial inequities. Segregation is at the peak, and the high cases of police brutality are topping in the country. Also, those of the negro descent are unjustly treated, and this is equally demonstrated in Birmingham’s social justice systems. Finally, King articulates that the bombing of negros’ domiciles as well as churches remained an unsolved issue whose end was not feasible any time soon. The latter condition stems from the fact that the political city leaders had turned down the request to engage in negotiations of good faith (par. 6).

Executing One Purpose

Correspondingly, Martin Luther King feels that all conditions mentioned above do concern him, and he has come to Birmingham city to execute one purpose. According to King, his purpose in Birmingham is to mobilize his fellow negros facing racial segregation to express their failed negotiation to the regional and national community through the only alternative left for them – engaging in nonviolent direct action. Therefore, King hopes to accomplish the chief objective of using peaceful direct action to create a crisis that shall see an artistic tension established. This shall compel both the local and national community that continually declined to engage in negotiations to confront the racial injustice issue (par. 9).

King’s life and action are guided by one umbrella principle of nonviolence. However, he commands a good mastery of this principle to demonstrate other beliefs such as personal commitment; where he affirms his faith and approaches of nonviolence to get ready for any sufferings that may come his way. Also, King is guided by the principle of direct action. Here, when all his opponents refuse to bulge in negotiations, King has an upfront action to fall for as an alternative option to impose a creative action into an issue. Thus, heaping more pressure on his opponents to coordinate with him in resolving the issue.

Subsequently, King appeals to his Jewish and Christian brethren to support his nonviolent direct action to ensure racial justice and equality is attained. He submits to them how he is fed up with the White Citizens Councillors who acts as a stumbling block to the freedom of the negros. King exposes how the white devotes seek order rather than justice and negative peace instead of a positive one that avails justice. Consequently, Martin Luther King uses the phrase “active nonviolent direct action” to imply the use of ongoing peaceful protests or demonstrations that entails sit-ins and counter-economics as a means of expressing their grievances to the respective local as well as national community.

Conclusion

In summation, Martin Luther King responds to the letter from the religious leaders condemning his demonstrations with a well thought out reply which recognizes every sentiment made. He demonstrates efficacy with word choice and final appeal, which is bound to cause everyone to relate and comprehend his struggle

References

King, J. M. (1963, August). Letter from Birmingham Jail. Retrieved from www.csuchico.edu: https://www.csuchico.edu/iege/_assets/documents/susi-letter-from-birmingham-jail.pdf.