1. Letters From Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr.

2. Martin Luther King Jr. Born into a family of baptist ministers
Went to school in Atlanta, GA
planned to study medicine and law
decided to commit himself to ministry
focus on struggle for racial equality

3. Martin Luther King Jr. Went to school up north for ministry
Gandhi made a critical impression on him
Received doctorate in theology at Boston University

4. Martin Luther King JR.
Leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott ( )- lasted 382 days
Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA)
formed in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger
boycott ended when buses were desegregated

5. Martin Luther King JR.
Through nonviolence MLK lead boycotts, marches, and sit ins to protest segregation, injustice, and the economic oppression of African Americans
Most eloquent and influential leader in the civil rights movement

6. “Letters from a Birmingham Jail”
Martin Luther King JR.
“Letters from a Birmingham Jail”
1963
crystalized the Civil rights movements goals and methods with this speech
“I Have a Dream”
4 months later
organized a march to Washington DC
delivered his most famous speech

7. Martin Luther King JR.
King became a martyr for freedom, even though he stressed nonviolence
assassinated in Memphis, TN
April 4, 1968
Wife and Children help to keep his message alive
King traveled over 6 million miles and gave more than 2,500 speeches
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964

8. Letter From Birmingham Jail
Wrote this letter in response to eight white clergymen who criticized him for leading protests against racial segregation
MLK invoked freedom as the heritage of all Americans, not just whites
Concedes that the B. Police did not act violently in public against the demonstrators
felt real heroes were the nonviolent protesters who were willing to take punishment for a cause

9. Letter From Birmingham Jail
Read the article from the clergymen in the newspaper
without proper writing paper, King drafted a response (this letter) in the cramped margins of that exact newspaper

10. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Highlights from ¶ 1
“I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham
Meaning of Quote
he will stand behind what he believes- freedom and equality for all americans

11. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Who were the African American’s here before, according to MLK?
Pilgrims landed at Plymouth
Jefferson wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence
more than 2 centuries of laboring without wages

12. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
MLK fully believes that Slavery did not beat or break down African Americans, and if they can survive that- they will overcome this and achieve their freedom!

13. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
When responding to the Clergymen Directly:
he says that there is a statement that troubles him
he does not agree with their commending of the Birmingham police for “keeping order”

14. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Ways for which Clergymen praised B.Police
angry, violent dogs literally biting 6, unarmed-nonviolent Negroes
ugly/inhumane treatment of Negroes in the jail
pushing/cursing old Negro Women and Young girls
slapping/kicking old Negro Men and young boys
refusing to give them food for singing grace together

15. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
MLK views on nonviolence:
nonviolenent demands must have as pure as the end we seek.
Publicly nonviolent
police have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of flagrant racial injustice

16. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
MLK feels strongly that one day the south will recognize its true heros:
he considers the true heros to be those that took nonviolent actions and endured the violence of others.

17. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
MLK apologizes for many things in this speech
apologizes for taking up to much of the white man's “precious time”
if he has said anything that is an overstatement of the truth and is indicative of an unreasonable impatience
if he has said anything that is an understatement of the truth or having less patience than a brotherhood.

18. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
says there is not much to do in the narrow jail cell other than
writing long letters
thinking strange thoughts
saying long prayers

19. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
he hopes that he and the white clergymen will meet again soon
but not as a civil rights leader
but when they achieve equality and he can meet with them as a clergyman and christian brother.

20. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Reading Strategy
what are the details King uses to support his main idea about police treatment of protestors?
police allowing their dogs to bite demonstrators, pushing/cursing/kicking people, witholding food
Reading Check
According to King, who are the South’s real heros?
the protestors are the real heroes of the south who practice NONVIOLENCE

21. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Quiz Yourself:
In Paragraph 1, what parallel structure does King use in these sentences?
what effect do these parallel structures have?

22. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Answers:
in the first lines, King says “i have no despair” and “I have no fear”. Next he uses the parallelism of “the goal of freedom” and “the goal of America” he repeats the words “freedom” and “Destiny”
the parallelism links and balances ideas, and it creates a rhythm that makes the writing enjoyable and memorable.

23. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Quiz Yourself:
In Paragraph 2, identify the main idea King is pointing out?
What is King’s key idea in the final paragraph?

24. Letters from a Birmingham Jail
Answers:
the main idea is that the police treated the demonstrators badly, often violently.
King hopes that peace and brotherhood will replace fear and misunderstanding

25. Letters from a Birmingham Jail Critical Reading
A. In the first paragraph, what reasons does King give for his confidence in the outcome of the struggle?
B. why do you think he emphasizes his attitude about the outcome?

26. Letters from a Birmingham Jail Critical Reading
A- King says that he is confident because the goal of America is freedom because African Americans have struggled without giving up
1.B-King wants to demonstrate his conviction that what is happening is right. he also may want to suggest that he will never give in.

27. Letters from a Birmingham Jail Critical Reading
2. What two points does King make about the means by which a just goal should be reache? Explain.

28. Letters from a Birmingham Jail Critical Reading
2. he says that it is wrong to use immoral means to achieve moral ends and that it is equally wrong to use moral means to gain immoral ends.