This letter was written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in a Birmingham jail, where he was arrested for not having a parade permit for a non violent protest. This nonviolent protest was to was just simple marching through the streets of Birmingham and words of encouragement were spouted through out the streets as they march.
Dr. King talked about how they vowed by a creed of nothing but nonviolence to get a point of across of freedom and segregation to all and to be treated fair. He had four steps for a nonviolent campaign: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negation, self-purification and direct action (King1) By using these steps he did see reason to take action on Birmingham due to this city being the most segregated city in America and had the most brutality towards negros from the police. Constant violence was bestowed upon negros in that time where they had multiple house burnings, bombings, and lynching’s and still had the degrading signs up to call black people out their names to shame them.
Dr. King expressed in his letter that people always wonder why direct action of the way of non violence? Why not wait for the govenment to take action? “Wait” according to Dr. King to a negro means “never”! As he stated negros for years had to wait for things to never happen and waiting for justice and it is always being denied, waiting to go to places like and amusement park and told you cant come in because of the color of your skin or its not negro day. Waiting was a bandaid to keep the black people from doing anything normal because they still were not free. The nonviolent protest were done to give us that freedom at that time to be able to break bread with our fellow white man and not be abused or treated different.
The letter also had content that state two laws in the world of a black man is “Just” and ” Unjust”. A just law can be defined as a law that was man made with a code of moral laws and the law of God. A just law makes it so no matter what the minority has to abide, natural law. A unjust law is a law that is a code that spites only minorities and degrades humans personality or their person. Black people for years and still to this day have been part of the unjust law because of the color of their skin.
Dr. King also expressed how disappointed he was with how the white Christians or the church has handle this situation. He has stated that in the past white Christians had a strong stand against the violence and helped toward a better world but now they are considered weak because they are afraid and will not help to instill peace as they did in the past. They are afraid of being called “negro lovers” or having their establishments burned or any other harm to them.
A lot of truth to Dr. King letter is still true today. Throughout the years there has been change but not much. Yes black people have gain a lot of momentum in society but are still being disrespected and degraded. The police are still brutal and black people are still being treat unjustly and seen as threats. Society has seen our non violent protest as a violent action that is has harmed a lot of innocent black people along the way to try and get people to understand that the things that they are doing to the black community is not right and unjust. People should keep in mind that you should treat people as you would want to be treated no matter of race, color or status. Be kind and be united.
The Atlantic Monthly, August 1963; The Negro Is Your Brother; Volume 212. No. 2, pages 77-78
Hello, I liked your presentation about MLK’s letter from jail, I feel as though it’s an important writing that isn’t as commonly mentioned as others. MLK’s emphasis on the fact that black people have no time to wait rang true to me, mainly because their daily existence was threatened each day, and waiting was just putting more people in danger. It kind of feels like this wait is somewhat ongoing, and as you mentioned with the change that has happened for blacks and other minorities, there is still more to be done. I really liked your last sentences though, because it relates directly to when King spoke about a Just and Unjust law. Being kind to all is a just law that benefits everyone, and when we can do that, that is when we can see change begin to happen and unfold the evils of Unjust laws.
Hello.
Martin Luther King’s letter still applies to our life today. Although the frequency of the problems in the letter are reduced, many still exist today. Some African Americans are still discriminated today. There may not be many house burnings, but people still disrespect houses by painting graffitiing or throwing trash. Today, police racially profile African Americans and other minorities. Many people think that since segregation is gone, African Americans are fine. But this is not true. Organizations such as the NAACP still exist today. New organizations such as the Black Lives Matter movement are made in response to discriminations.
Something cool I realized is that Martin Luther King’s situation is similar with another Christian named Paul. In the Bible, Paul wrote many letters that make up much of the new testament. Paul wrote his letters inside a prison after getting arrested by the Roman government. Similarly, Martin Luther King wrote his letter of Birmingham inside a jail after getting arrested by the Southern government. Both Paul and Martin were arrested for terrible reasons. Both these people are Christians, wanted to love their enemies, wrote letters in captivity, and were jailed by unjust governments.
Thank you for this blog post! I really appreciated how you ended it, as I do agree that it comes down to treating people how you would like to be treated, and although this is a complicated matter with a long history of oppression and unjust treatment of an entire population, the fact of the matter is everyone deserves to be treated fairly. I wish we could live that out better in everyday life.
I thought it was very eye opening when Dr. King says “History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily” (King, 2). This is why waiting doesn’t work. Wait for those of us who have the power to decide to hand over power? I challenge us to find a time in history when someone who was benefitting so greatly from power compared to others in their country willingly gave up that power. That’s why wars have broken out, and people have become divided. I think that any white person could probably think of some way in which they benefit by being white and having the ability to have centuries of wealth and prosperity over black people. I know I can. It’s really convicting. It’s uncomfortable to think about, but I think we have to face that discomfort head on to get anywhere. Similar to how when we repress feelings they can eat us alive and control us, I think the same is true in societal conflicts. Pretending nothing is wrong, changes nothing and prolongs the tension.
Although we don’t all see these issues the same way, I think if we moved away from viewing issues through our families or our political parties and decided just to live by the golden rule, acceptance and just treatment of all people would be so greatly improved.
This blog post was perfect for this week’s reading. I read this letter last year for my government class, and everything you said reminded me of what we discussed last year. I really liked that you made a point to say that “Wait” means “Never” in these situations. It is true that African American people were told to wait, but after years there was still no change. We have a long way to go, still, when it comes to equality between white people and black people. I think this is evident because of everything that has happened this past year and a half with all of the protests. It almost seems to parallel what was happening back then; peaceful protests for equality were taking places in the 1960s as well as 2020. However, we should be able to move past this instead of repeating these awful moments in history.
I think this blog post fit this weeks reading very well. The point that stood out to me most was the the section about being told to “wait”. I also agree that if nobody ever took action nothing would have ever been done. Although we have made progress in the right direction, I also agree that there is still a lot to be done in today’s society.
I enjoyed reading this great post as it posed as an influential intro to this week’s readings. Martin Luther King’s letter and memorable words still guide us as individuals today. With the ongoing protests currently, activists need to realize the importance of King’s non-violent direct action legacy. King’s letter has highlighted that the oppressed individuals need to set their own timeline of liberation. King stresses the importance of focusing on non-violent campaigns and negotiation.
I liked how the “Wait” point was brought up which stressed that waiting was like a “bandaid”, waiting meant never because of the constant fight for justice and freedom. King’s letter has highlighted numerous lessons for all such as the most effective approach of using reason. He has shown a commitment to treating others with respect and kindness even to those who are against him as he had demonstrated that against the men who attacked him. I believe we can all take valuable lessons from Dr. King’s letter.
Hi,
I really enjoyed King’s point on just and unjust laws. There have been many unjust laws or wholes in the law in the past that have been over turned because they were, as King puts it, “degrades human personality is unjust.” One I can think of is woman’s suffrage. The 19th amendment allowed for women to be heard in government rather than be oppressed by the government they are subject to. Another I can think of is the is the 3/5ths compromise. This degraded slaves personality by formally being recognized as not a whole person in government. This was eventually turned over by the 14th amendment. History has shown us just because something is a law, doesn’t mean it is morally correct and “just”. This idea encourages us to challenge laws we believe to be “unjust” and stand up for what we believe is right and natural.
I really enjoyed this post! I liked that you included the fact that there hasn’t been much change. I would add that it seems the private prison industrial complex has rebranded slavery; with white men profiting the most from cheap prison labor. I also liked that you added the fact that waiting was like a band-aid it really helped my understanding of the text.
Thank you so much for the great presentation! I think you hit a lot of the main points right on the head! I think it is very interesting how King’s letter still means something in the world today. I really the paragraph that talks about King’s disappointment in white christian churches. I think this is something that others do not tend to think about that much!
I did not know about the support the White Christians had provided during those times. Also, I think it is crazy that how much of what MLK was fighting for can still be seen today throughout many communities as people of different races, and genders fight to get rid of these unjust laws and situations they may find themselves in. With 2020’s summer BLM movements I thought we would honestly see a lot more change and reform to the police and justice systems to try and make them better for everyone. Sad to say I don’t think there was as much reform as everyone was hoping for
Thank you for sharing this presentation! I think it is really important that you brought up the point of Dr. King’s disappointment in the white Christians. When responding to the open letter he received, he saw strait through the one-sided rhetoric of not wanting to get involved. Unfortunately, this is still an issue in white Christian churches. As it is said in Mark 12:31, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” To be a Christian is to follow Christ as in to be Christ-like. Scripture is what Christians consider biblical law and they should be obedient to that. This verse in the Bible explicitly says to love everyone as yourself and nothing is more important than this. But this seems to be the commonality that the majority of Christians are missing. Unfortunately, many Christians do not accept, welcome, or love people that look different than them or have a different status than them. Just as Dr. King hoped for change nearly 60 years ago, I think it is important to still put effort towards equality of races, especially in the Christian Church.
Hello, I really enjoyed reading your presentation. From your presentation, I learned the difference between “just” and “unjust” laws. I agree with you that it is unfair the way that black people have been and are treated just based on their skin color. I think King’s letter is very moving and your presentation explains that. I also really like your last sentence: “Be kind be united.” I think that is a really good way to sum up the main idea of this reading.
Hi! Your presentation was well worded as well as prominent information was mentioned. I enjoyed your focus on the “wait,” and “never,” issue. This is an example of procrastination, but moreover it is procrastination in the matters of someone’s life relating to their rights and treatment. This “wait,” should not even be a matter to discuss, but rather should have been an obvious issue to bring direct attention to immediately. This is similar to how his voice had to be delayed in a letter similar to the “wait,” as he was forced to be in jail. He had to wait for those to hear his voice and for action to occur. There should have never of even been a wait in the first place. I also enjoyed your notes on how King felt towards the church and their actions, as they handled the matter poorly and not quick when it comes to one’s life. This is still an issue today, but the wait should be over and instead it should become a reality that is expected and known.
Hi! Your presentation was great and really touched on a lot of important points. In my senior year of high school and I took a “Service & Social Justice” class where we read Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” A lot of what you talked about reminded me of what we discussed in that class. MLK being arrested for not having a parade permit during a peaceful, non-violent protest reminds me of the Black Lives Matter movements that have been going on since the death of George Floyd last year. These protests are always peaceful and only turn violent when police or people who do not support the movement become unruly. Your comments about “wait” and “never” were very well put. Waiting for the government to handle the situation and get rid of unjust laws will do no good, back then, and today. It is important for people to peacefully protest for what is right. Great post!
Hello! Your presentation is very well organized. I liked how King went to the most segregated city because he saw a need for change in that particular area. I admire the morals formed by King and how he strictly stuck to them during protest. You see some of those same morals and characteristics being shown today. I also liked the point he made about White Christians being too scared scared to support black people because of what others would think and what would happen to them even though what black people were facing was far worse then what they would ever have to endure.
Hi! I found that your breakdown of the letter helped me gain a lot more perspective on it. The key points you pulled really helped a lot of the letter make more sense to me. I couldn’t agree more that not much has changed in America since this letter was wrote. It pains me to say that. To think that after 58 years, there is still racism in our everyday lives. All of the work Dr. King has done has inspired many others to carry on his legacy and goals to reach a greater goal. The protests we watched/participated in this year were mind-altering. The police still found some way to harm the peaceful protestors as they had done in the past. Dr. King’s arrest was made for not having a parade permit during a protest. He continued to carry on his message and his work in jail by writing his letter. One of your points that really surprised me was the paragraph about the churches’ responses. A place that is made for worship and love under God denied citizens because of the color of their skin. God is supposed to love all regardless of their sins, regardless of their sexuality, and regardless of their skin color. The churches feared judgement from others and that truly saddens me because that was supposed to be a way for people to escape and feel their best. Again, great post!
Hi! I really enjoyed your context presentation. We have learned a lot from Martin Luther King Jr, and his morals which is still used today. He taught us that silent protest was the most effective way to make a change as well as taking actions into own hands. King did not wait for the government to make a change, he took it upon himself to make a difference, in which he did. I loved that you tied your post back to the most important message for everyone to always keep in mind that, “you should treat people as you would want to be treated no matter of race, color or status. Be kind and be united.” which I could not agree more on.
Hello!!
This context Presentation was very well put together, and the main points of kings process was explained and why. As important Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was, we are still practicing/valuing his vision today, which is more than necessary! I think King was very Brave for taking action in Birmingham “due to this city being the most segregated city in America and had the most brutality towards negros from the police.” There is no room for procrastination when it comes to someones life, and one of the students used George Floyd as a current example. This just goes to show how King’s point was/still is valid but sad to see its still happening.
Hello!
I appreciate your introduction and explanation of Dr. King’s article. At that time, social activists often had the opportunity to adopt more moderate methods to debate opponents. At the same time, they could also launch Street political activities such as demonstrations to attract the attention of public opinion. Today, however, we have lost the possibility of such dialogue because of polarization. Even some political groups can’t unify their ideas. Nevertheless, many of Dr. King’s article analyses are so correct that we can still inherit his ideas and apply them to the struggle against racism today and in the future.
Hello,
This was a very good explanation and analysis of the article by Dr. King. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us a lot, and his ideals are still being followed today. He taught us that the most effective approach to make a change was to protest silently, as well as to take action ourselves. Many people have been motivated by Dr. King’s work and continue to carry on his legacy and goals in order to achieve a greater goal. The paragraph regarding King’s displeasure in white Christian churches is one of my favorites. I believe this is a point of King’s work and speeches that is often overlooked and not talked about enough. Great analysis!