Letter from Birmingham Jail

In this letter by Martin Luther King Jr. was made in direction to eight white clergymen,

all criticizing his efforts in Birmingham, Alabama. He write this letter ultimately to defend his

protest due to racial segregation, and to insure his reasons for being in Birmingham. In paragraph

one of this piece, King states, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here, this specifically

describing his intentions. Martin Luther King Jr. is creating a spotlight for his letter. King

assumes his readers are uninformed about his efforts, and his true reason for being in

Birmingham. His readers are also the Christian community, whom he is directing his letter

towards. King makes connections with his reader, to ensure they understand his point of view. He

connects with his reader therefore, they feel sympathy towards him, and believe in his cause.

King wants his point of unjust laws circulating, to be abolished, and the 1954 ruling to be forced.

King states specifically in paragraph 14, African Americans have waited more than 340 years

for their constitutional and God given rights. By making this connection to God, and rights laid

out in the constitution, King is making connections the reader can relate to. He makes these

assumptions to relate to the reader that these rights individuals take these rights into account, and

for granted, African Americans have been striving to receive these rights, for a very long time.

His letter is formed to make his presence in Birmingham just, and prove to the audience that this

encounter in Birmingham is for a sincere cause. Martin Luther King Jr. hopes to grab the

readers attention, and help enable attention towards his cause. King makes connections to things

the reader holds dear to their heart, and help form hype over his cause.

Reflection- This letter was one of the powerful pieces to read in this class. I was introduced to an

argument paper, and it helped show me what a powerful piece really consists of. This piece
however, was one of my favorites due to, it holding such strong arguments. Such as drawing

attention to the concept, African Americans have waited 340 years for rights laid out in the

constitution. This initially showing exactly how long this cause has been occurring, which is a

thought I cant fathom. Kings letter helped tie the idea of racial segregation together, making

valid points, and helping sympathy for the cause be drawn. This paper helped me realize, just

how powerful a letter could be, and how much a strong argument can hold a paper together.