Martin Luther King Jr. was the acknowledged leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. King earned several grades and was a bright adult male. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written in April 1963. while he was in gaol in Birmingham. Alabama. for Acts of the Apostless of civil noncompliance ( 499 ) . His missive is a response to a missive signed by reverend knocking his actions towards civil rights. The reverends believed that his actions were “untimely. ” King provinces. ”if I sought to reply all the unfavorable judgments that cross my desk…I would hold no clip for constructive work” ( 500 ) . He normally does non react to missive that knock his work and actions. but he believed the reverends were work forces of echt good and they meant no injury. King was president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and they had affiliates all throughout the South. King believed he was supposed to distribute freedom. He agreed that if Birmingham of all time needed him that he would be at that place.

“Injustice everyplace is a menace to justness everywhere” ( 500 ) . King used an attack to decide issues in nonviolent manners. It consisted of sit-ins. Marches. and etc. Nonviolent direct action would make a tenseness that an otherwise ignored topic would hold to be faced. With nonviolent direct action and neglected issue would come to light and can no longer be ignored ( 502 ) . After the direct-action plan. King hoped that the doors to dialogue would open. King provinces that African Americans have waited 340 old ages for their rights and that to the people non being segregated the word “wait” is easy for them to state. King negotiations about the endless hazards Africans go through. from discourtesy to decease. and provinces why they can no longer “wait” ( 504 ) . King negotiations about how the state is immoral and unfair and that he must take action.

He was arrested for exhibiting without a license and his apprehension was immoral because citizens were denied the First amendment privilege of peaceable assembly and protest. The reverends labeled King’s actions as extreme. King addressed the accusal that the civil rights motion was “extreme” . foremost challenging the label but so accepting it. He argues that Jesus and other heroes were extremists and writes: “So the inquiry is non whether we will be extremists. but what sort of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hatred or for love? ” ( 509-510 ) . King is strong in his beliefs and hopes freedom comes to African Americans. “If the unexpressible inhuman treatments of bondage could non halt us. the resistance we now face will certainly fail” ( 513 ) .

Response

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” is a expression into the world of racial inequality in 1960s America. King writes this missive to fellow reverends and purposes to turn to their concerns sing the wisdom and timing of the nonviolent direct-action presentations in Birmingham. Alabama that King and other leaders orchestrated and carried out in 1963. The reverends were wrong with their positions on King’s attempts. He wanted to gain freedom for all African Americans throughout the state. He believed that a nonviolent direct-action plan would be the most effectual manner of gaining rights. “Nonviolent direct action seeks to make such a crises and Foster such a tenseness that community which has invariably refused to negociate is forced to face the issue” ( 502 ) . King believed that finally the issue had to be dealt with and he was right. The reverends believed that King was precipitating force but King replied with. “We simply conveying to the surface the concealed tenseness that is already alive” ( 507 ) .

King related the clergymen’s accusals to reprobating a robbed adult male because his ownership of money precipitated the evil act of robbery ( 507 ) . He was non acquiring aid elsewhere. so King had to take affair in his ain custodies. “In deep letdown I have wept over the laxness of the church. ” ( 512 ) . The Church did non offer as much aid as King needed. Churches besides do non possess the power that they use to. “Things are different now. So frequently the modern-day church is a weak. ineffective voice with an unsure sound” ( 512 ) . Without the aid elsewhere. King was right in showing that nonviolent direct-action would carry through his ends.

The reverends called his actions “untimely” when in fact King chose a great clip to take action. King stated they had waited for more than 340 old ages for their rights and that the word “wait’ normally meant “never” ( 530 ) . The Torahs against African Americans were immoral and unfair. King was arrested for exhibiting without a license and that was why he was in Birmingham Jail. This was unfair because he was exerting his right for the First Amendment of peaceful assembly and protest. At this clip period. if it were a white adult male. he would non hold gone to imprison. King was right in his thought and all the actions he took. Without King’s attempts. America would non be the great state it is.