Summary-Analysis

Summary-Analysis of Letters From Birmingham Jail

            Letters from Birmingham Jail is a narrative written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his imprisonment in Birmingham, Alabama for publicly protesting for the rights of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.  In his piece, King asserts that the black community will not successfully obtain their full rights as American citizens without “timeless effort and persistent work.” (King, p.284) He does not believe that these rights are inevitable and that letting time play out will one day bring the desired rights to the African American community. He is effectively saying that followers of the Civil Rights Movement need to be aggressive, however, in an obedient manner. They must actively speak out for integration rather than hope that one day society will on it’s own disengage in segregation.

            King conveys this argument when he discusses a letter he received from a white man who lived in Texas. The man states, “All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great of a religious hurry.” (King, p.283) By stating that equal rights will come “eventually”, the white man contradicts Kings exact argument. King goes on to describe the man’s statement as a “strangely irrational notion.” (King, p.283) It is this choice of words that clearly show King’s disapproval of the idea that time should elapse before he and his people receive rights. He uses the letter to discredit time’s influence in the fight for rights and as a platform for his belief that the black people must engage in active protesting to reach this goal.

            This argument can also be supported by King’s allusion to the Christian Church. King notes that the church once had a governing and decision-making role in society but is “often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound,” (King, p.286) today.  The church is an example of how people in the past relied on a higher power to fix their problems and settle disputes. However, King’s own description of the role of the church today makes clear that this is no longer the case. There is no greater power (referring to time) that is the means of solving societal issues. He wanted his audience to understand that in order to overcome racial inequalities, those who were suffering need to take matters into their own hands. They needed to be the driving force in the change because waiting and wishing that one day the government may just outlaw racial segregation and discrimination will be a waste of time. 

            Clearly, King intended for this letter to help gain support for his method of actively fighting for civil rights. Thus, it was important that King used rhetorical appeals in so that he could successfully ingrain his ideas into others minds. Probably the most effective persuasion tool found in this piece is King’s own position in the Civil Rights Movement. As part of the rhetorical appeal of ethos, he automatically transmits a sense of authority in his piece. If someone of knowledge and importance makes a suggestion or statement, it is more likely to be agreed upon or receive attention from readers. If King had not been a well-known figure in the Civil rights movement, then the intended influence of this letter may not have been as strong.

            The point King is trying to make about an active approach to social change is given validity through an analysis of historical events. Although not touched upon in the context of the letter, King employed his methodology of active participation throughout his career fighting for African Americans’ rights. King led a series of protests, marches and sit-ins under the notion of civil disobedience. Each of these successive events is an example of the “timeless effort and persistent work”(King, p.284) that King calls for in the path towards gaining civil equality.

            The success of this methodology can be seen through the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, in which continuous personal efforts were made to achieve a desired goal. King, as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led protests for voting rights in Selma, Alabama that were met with violent retaliation. The media and national attention these protests received ultimately reached the US government, specifically President Johnson, who decided it was necessary to change the current voting laws. The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that gave African Americans the right to vote in national elections, shows how an active approach leads to a desired outcome. Had King and other activists waited hopeful that the government would someday pass this law on its own, it is likely that African Americans would have waited much longer for this change or perhaps today still not have the right to vote.

            King’s argument that goals cannot be achieved if one does not actively work towards them is not only applicable to the Civil Rights Movement. It is a universal idea that has validity in many other areas such as charity and fundraising. When a new charity is founded, it usually begins with someone who has the intention to raise money for a cause. In order for that charity to make a significant difference for its cause, it must receive exposure and funding. These necessities require people to spend excess time making brochures, giving speeches or campaigning for support in public places. Eventually this will add up to raising enough money to have an impact in the charity’s desired cause. As King would agree, founders of this charity cannot expect people to make the random decision to support the cause or donate money. They should not rely on the hope that someone will donate a large sum of money that will be enough to cover all costs. It is highly unlikely that either of these scenarios will occur and thus in order to ensure that they achieve their goal, the founders must put their own time and effort in to create a reputable charity.

Letters from Birmingham Jail showcases the attitudes held by and methodology of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in response to ending segregation and discrimination practice in the United States.  As he explained, there is no longer a Church who holds the authority to change societies ways. People cannot wait for time to elapse; they will only be dissatisfied in the end when their hopes do not become reality because they did not make an effort towards the desired change. in connection with history in a more general sense, King’s argument that change will not be served on a silver platter is proven successful in the enactment of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 during the Civil Rights Movements. It continues to apply in more modern situations in the process of creating and building a reputable charity. King’s letters from Birmingham Jail showed the views of a well-known leader, but most importantly, marked the beginning of a chapter of a national struggle.