Letters From Birmingham Jail Martin Luther King Jr.

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

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

Martin Luther King JR. Leader of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)- 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

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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”

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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?

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

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?

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.

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.

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.