Name: University: Course Title: Instructor: Date Introduction The Birmingham Campaign started on April 3, 1963. There were organized marches and meetings against racism and racial discrimination in Birmingham. This campaign was non-violent and was organized by Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led by Martin Luther King in conjunction with Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. On April 10, Judge W.A Jenkins issued injunction against ‘gatherings, demonstrations, boycotts, trespasses and picketing’. Martin Luther King and other like minded colleagues swore to disobey that injunction. On April 12, Martin Luther King was arrested alongside Fred Shuttlesworth and Ralph Albernathy. From Birmingham Jail, King wrote a longhand letter in response to accusation by other Christian leaders. While in Jail, the white Alabama clergymen published a statement to incite people against King Jnr. This article heavily criticized King’s methods, terming his activities as ‘unwise and untimely’. This statement was famously referred to as ‘’call for unity’’. In response to this statement, King declared that he had to come down to Birmingham to fight the intolerable injustice in that city. He claimed that injustice in Birmingham is a threat to injustice everywhere in the World. King stated that these leaders were loud in criticizing the demonstration while ignoring the factors which propelled the demonstrations in the first place (King.296). He compared his critics to the superficial analysts who blindly look at the effects and fail to consider the underlying effects. He emphasized that the white community of Birmingham left the Negroes with no option but to rebel. In his letter, King Jnr had to remind his critics of the four basic steps of non-violent campaign. According to King (296) these steps include: (I) collection of facts to establish if injustice exists (ii) negotiation (iii) self-purification and direct negotiation. He claimed that Birmingham has gone through all these four steps. This meant that that city was the most segregated one in the entire USA. Negro homes and churches were being bombed nearly every week. With reference to this injustice, Negro leaders made effort to negotiate with the city fathers but to no success. Their efforts were being frustrated by political leaders. These were cold, brutal facts. King claimed that the peaceful demonstrations had been postponed several times so as not to inconvenience various political, social and cultural events. Therefore, it could wait no more. One of the key points in accusatory statement was; King’s activities were untimely. Some of his critics accused him of not giving the new administration a chance to act. In defense of his actions, King claimed that the new administration had to be prodded about just like the outgoing one before it acts. He goes ahead to state that the new administration might be tempted to maintain the status quo if not made realize the extent of injustice in B.

1. Name:
University:
Course Title:
Instructor:
Date
Introduction
The Birmingham Campaign started on April 3, 1963. There were
organized marches and meetings against racism and racial
discrimination in Birmingham. This campaign was non-violent
and was organized by Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(SCLC) led by Martin Luther King in conjunction with Alabama
Christian Movement for Human Rights. On April 10, Judge W.A
Jenkins issued injunction against ‘gatherings, demonstrations,
boycotts, trespasses and picketing’. Martin Luther King and
other like minded colleagues swore to disobey that injunction.
On April 12, Martin Luther King was arrested alongside Fred
Shuttlesworth and Ralph Albernathy. From Birmingham Jail,
King wrote a longhand letter in response to accusation by other
Christian leaders.
While in Jail, the white Alabama clergymen published a
statement to incite people against King Jnr. This article heavily
criticized King’s methods, terming his activities as ‘unwise and
untimely’. This statement was famously referred to as ‘’call for
unity’’. In response to this statement, King declared that he had
to come down to Birmingham to fight the intolerable injustice
in that city. He claimed that injustice in Birmingham is a threat
to injustice everywhere in the World. King stated that these
leaders were loud in criticizing the demonstration while
ignoring the factors which propelled the demonstrations in the
first place (King.296). He compared his critics to the superficial
analysts who blindly look at the effects and fail to consider the
underlying effects. He emphasized that the white community of
Birmingham left the Negroes with no option but to rebel.
In his letter, King Jnr had to remind his critics of the four basic

2. steps of non-violent campaign. According to King (296) these
steps include: (I) collection of facts to establish if injustice
exists (ii) negotiation (iii) self-purification and direct
negotiation. He claimed that Birmingham has gone through all
these four steps. This meant that that city was the most
segregated one in the entire USA. Negro homes and churches
were being bombed nearly every week. With reference to this
injustice, Negro leaders made effort to negotiate with the city
fathers but to no success. Their efforts were being frustrated by
political leaders. These were cold, brutal facts. King claimed
that the peaceful demonstrations had been postponed several
times so as not to inconvenience various political, social and
cultural events. Therefore, it could wait no more.
One of the key points in accusatory statement was; King’s
activities were untimely. Some of his critics accused him of not
giving the new administration a chance to act. In defense of his
actions, King claimed that the new administration had to be
prodded about just like the outgoing one before it acts. He goes
ahead to state that the new administration might be tempted to
maintain the status quo if not made realize the extent of
injustice in Birmingham (King 297). He argues that it is
impossible for the privileged group to give up their privileges
voluntarily. King claims that these demonstrations were most
‘well timed’ according to the schedule of the oppressed
community. The word ‘wait’ seems to mean ‘never’. He further
states that there comes a time when the cup of perseverance
runs over and in such time, no one can ever stop the oppressed.
The ‘call for unity’ statement expressed a significant deal of
anxiety over King’s willingness to ignore laws. King termed
this as a legitimate concern. However, in response to these
allegations, he termed the expectations of the clergymen as
ironical as the whites also did not respect the Supreme Court’s
decision which outlaws segregation. Therefore, according to
King, it was impossible for Negroes to respect the law while
their white brothers are breaking the same law (King 299).
According to King, these laws could be termed as unjust laws

3. which also St. Augustine referred to as ‘no law’. King defined
unjust law as a code imposed upon a minority which that
minority does not participate in enacting because it was denied
a right to vote (King 299). He said that the segregation law was
an example of a law which is just at its face and unjust in its
application.
This statement also accused King’s activities in Birmingham as
extreme. In response to this, King expressed his innermost
disappointment with his fellow clergymen who considered his
nonviolent activities as those of an extremist. He counter
attacks these clergymen by claiming that they are insensitive to
the pleas of the masses. King considers himself as a moderator
and claims that it is important to note that oppressed people
cannot remain oppressed forever and therefore it was best that
they be given what they needed as early as possible (King 304).
He mentioned his other disappointments including the
leadership of the white church which supported segregation. He
specifically directed his concern over the religious leaders of
the South who call upon their worshippers to embrace
desegregation decision as it is law.
In his ending remarks, he criticized all those who applauded the
police on the claim that they maintained law and order. King
claimed that the police had used excessive force against
peaceful demonstrators. The police also inhumanely treat Negro
brothers and sisters in jail. He praises the Negro demonstrators
for their courage, and readiness to suffer, and their
extraordinary discipline in the heart of the most inhuman
provocation. In conclusion, he apologizes for any
understatement he might have made and begs God to forgive
him if he has shown impatience.
The letter from Birmingham city jail is the most emotional
letter I ever come across. This letter reveals King’s strength as
a rhetorician and his global approach to local issues. It makes
references to several secular thinkers as well as the Bible. This
letter is both passionate and controlled. It is very persuasive
and King is very straight on his demands. This letter gives a

4. singular, eloquent voice to thousands of the oppressed in
Birmingham and across all states of America. This letter
illustrates King’s reasoning using all appeals to ethics, logic
and emotion
In this letter, King makes effort to establish his credibility. He
reminds his readers that he is the President of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (King 296). He goes ahead to
argue that his conscious could not allow him to comfortably
stay at Atlanta, Georgia while his brothers are suffering in
Birmingham. In my opinion, this is an ethical appeal. Earlier in
the letter, King compares himself Apostle Paul. According to
the bible, Apostle Paul was required to carry the gospel of
freedom beyond his home town. This provokes the emotions of
the reader and reminds them of the deeply held responsibilities.
The emotions displayed in this letter create the sense of urgency
and seriousness of the situation. King emphasizes this urgency
by pointing out that the patience of the Negro is worn out. The
Negro can wait no more. He reminds the White community that
the oppressed cannot remain oppressed forever. Therefore, it
was better for the white community to start treating the Negroes
in a better way because soon they have no option. In other
words, King was saying the Negro community was not the
problem; the problem was the White community. The white
people thought that the Negro community was their main source
of their problem. According to King, this was the best time to
respect the Negro community and further delay will lead to
complication of issues.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this letter is one of the best written
argumentative pieces. It is a letter full of history but most
significantly is a piece where the reader witnesses King’s
approach to the most sensitive issue back then. This letter is
largely an ethical piece. Regardless of the issues which brought
about this piece, the cultural implication of this letter is
enormous.

5. Work Cited
King, Martin L. Letter from Birmingham City Jail. Philadelphia:
American Friends Service Committee, 1963. Print. (294-
308)