Letter From Birmingham Jail

Written By Jonathan Milner

Definition

The Civil Rights Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1963 Letter From Birmingham Jail firmly grounded its appeals for liberty and equality in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, fighting for America to fulfill its own promise that “all men are created equal.” According to Dr. King, Sometimes civil disobedience is an appropriate response to injustice and it is the responsibility of citizens, church, and state to stand peacefully for social justice and civil rights that are guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States.

In April 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama after he and other black demonstrators violated a court order to halt protest marches and sit-ins. While King was in jail, eight white clergy published an open letter criticizing King and black protestors, calling their activities “unwise and untimely.” The clergy did not oppose the protestors’ demands but disagreed with the protestors’ methods. “When rights are consistently denied, a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in the streets,” the clergy wrote. King disagreed and penned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” arguing that black Americans had waited long enough for equal rights, and that unjust laws were invalid laws.King disagreed and penned his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” arguing that black Americans had waited long enough for equal rights, and that unjust laws were invalid laws.

Example

 
 

Questions

  1. Who was the author of Letter From Birmingham Jail?

  2. Why was Dr. King in the Birmingham Jail?

  3. According to the author of Letter From Birmingham Jail, are all American equal in rights?

  4. According to the author of Letter From Birmingham Jail, is civil disobedience ever justified?

  5. Think of an example of the ideas from Letter From Birmingham Jail in current events:

  6. What is the connection between Letter From Birmingham Jail and the goals of the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement?

  7. Find an image of Letter From Birmingham Jail or find an emoji that represents its main idea:

  8. Explain the meaning of the following quote from Letter From Birmingham Jail: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

  9. What is the connection between the goals of the Declaration of Independence and the hopes of Letter From Birmingham Jail?

  10. If you had to rank all the 9 foundational documents from most to least important, where would you rank Federalist No. 10?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to draw Letter From Birmingham Jail. Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

Further Review

Glossary

Jonathan Milner

Civics Maven!

https://www.gopopro.com/
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