LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL Martin Luther King is one of the most famous persons in the world who worked relentlessly for the rights of African Americans. His essays and speeches inspire people throughout the world. One of his most famous works, “Letter from Birmingham jail”, is written in his time as a prisoner at Birmingham for his demonstrations. Through this essay, King skillfully applies rhetorical appeals as well as challenging contents as powerful tools to argue against Alabama clergy men who oppose his demonstration. First and most significant idea to keep in mind is that Martin Luther King uses logical reasoning to support his argument against the unjustified statements from the clergy men.
Atticus Speech “Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.” “Gentlemen, we are living in times of racism, in times of poverty, in times of cruel judgement. But let me ask you gentlemen, how are negroes worse than caucasians? How does the color of your skin determine whether you deserve to live or not? Think about these questions to yourselves. Everyone knows this case should not have taken place.
Estefani Vazquez Professor James English 50 November 24, 2013 Racial Justice Is it right to judge others; to think that you are better than other people because of your race? Racial injustice has been going on for many centuries. Racial injustice affected many people. During 1960s, Martin Luther king Jr., an American civil rights leader, went to Birmingham to resolve the issues that was taking place. King fought against injustice in non-violent ways by advocating the rights of African-Americans.
MLK’s letter from the Birmingham jail encouraged non-violent protest as opposed to violent. MLK considered this point important enough to make it a large part of his discourse. The reason for this being included in the letter was due to the fact that much of the people in opposition to the movement were worried about violence. MLK himself pointed out that “The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement.” MLK’s letter called for “direct action” which he explained was sit ins, marches and so on.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Letter from Birmingham Jail This is a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. to the clergymen in response to their claim in a local newspaper that his protesting was “unwise and untimely.” This is an attempt to defend himself and his fellow protesters. He begins by explaining why he was in Birmingham and states that he is not an outsider. He was invited by the president of the Christian Leadership Conference to be there. [623] He stressed on the issue of injustice in this area and said he must “carry the gospel of freedom” wherever it is needed like Paul did in the Bible. He continues to say that while the protests were unfortunate, it is even more unfortunate that the black community was left with no other alternative action.
He uses high modality language such as “captivity” and “poverty” to convey the lack of freedom and poverty the African American community felt due to the reason of racial discrimination. Alternatively, King also shows that there is hope for change in the future when he uses positive words, such as “justice”. This conveys to the audience the importance of uniting to end racial injustice and oppression. Therefore, the speech implies that racial discrimination should be abolished in order for future generations to progress positively. Furthermore, the use of repetition has successfully emphasized King’s desire to stop racial discrimination in the community and workplace.
Narratives of the life of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Narratives of the life of Frederick Douglass is a auto biography written by Frederick Douglass, to give you the true and most vivid mental images of what it really was to be a slave. This autobiography made me tear up in some if not all chapters or all 58 pages. This book helps you realize how slavery was just plain and simply the most unfair, painful, depressing, and unrighteous thing and one can endure let alone try and overcome. Frederick Douglass was one of the few super intelligent and fearless former slaves who could use his surroundings to not only help himself but also to later on help the ones still in bondage. Its really messed up how slaves and colored people
“In Memphis on April 3, King addressed a rally; speaking of threats on his life, he urged followers to continue the nonviolent struggle no matter what happened to him” (Lincoln, C. Eric). The fact that Martin was willing to give up his life for his cause and his followers is incredible and showed a lot about his character. He was entirely dedicated to changing the way that African Americans were treated, and even if he couldn’t achieve this goal in his own lifetime, he wanted to leave a legacy that would spark the tenacity to eventually reach his goal. Not many heroes would sacrifice that much for what they believe in. “In June, King and 125,000 persons marched in a ‘Freedom Walk’ in Detroit.
Within the first month of the Civil War African Americans were prohibited from joining the Union Army. Green was determined to change this. In his speech, Green repeatedly says “it is true” when discussing prior events that placed African Americans behind the front lines. This was done to acknowledge that even though they were once overlooked they are desperately needed now to fight for their own freedom. Green also repeatedly reiterates the phrase “let us.” By referring to the audience as one entity it makes the bond that they share, being African American, stronger because it shows that they are all in this together and share the same experiences.
Malcolm X advocated frequently for blacks who were unjustly treated by legal and social authority. He showed people that black people could be articulate, and highly intellectual. He advocated for black men to rise up and give the same reaction they received from the white power structure and not accept the status quo of racism and discrimination. It is because of Malcolm's views of social justice and revolutionary actions, that gave rise to the most influential and revolutionary groups in America today. People just could not believe how someone could take the life of someone of such great