Martin Luther King's Rhetorical Questions in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

Martin Luther King Jr. poses numerous rhetorical questions throughout the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." He used rhetorical questions as a means to address issues that had not been publicly spoken of. One question that many had for King was why he would break "some laws and obey others." In order to respond this issue, King posed the same question the letter he wrote and answered. His answer was simple, some laws were "just" and others were "unjust." This gave critics of Martin Luther King's actions an explanation to what King was doing. Through the use of rhetorical questions, such as the one before, King was able to respond efficiently and effectively to issues that the nation had with him.
-Curtis  

Religious references and their rhetorical effect

 The song “keep your eye on the prize” contains many religious references that appealed to the African American community. The lyrics allude to a passage from Acts 16 of the bible. The men mentioned in the song, Paul and Silas, were two apostles who were unjustly sent to prison. They were sent to prison because they casted a demon out of a fortuneteller. A businessman who owned the fortuneteller lost lots of money because the fortuneteller could no longer predict the future. Paul and Silas were confined in a prison for weeks because of their actions and badly beaten. The African American community also felt confined. They felt locked by the heavy chains of discrimination, racism, and hatred. While in jail, Paul and Silas sang hymns and prayed and prayed. Their prayers were eventually answered when a huge earthquake knocked down the walls of the prison. The African American community felt that as long as they continued to pray, sing and make noise for justice, their walls would eventually knock down as well. God could help them too. 

-adam

Keep Fighting, We're almost there
"Eye On The Prize "
logical appeal


This song appeals to logos in that, it reassures its audience that if they in fact "hold on" there will be some inevitable reward; or a "prize".  The lyrics in the song are supposed to inspire members of the civil rights movement to be persistent in the the fight for equality and the rid of oppression.  The line "But the one thing we did right, Was the day we started to fight" stands out because it serves as justification or and explanation to the actions they might be doing that are not accepted by society.  This song is parallel to MLK's message where he'd use non-violent means to achieve equality such as sit-ins or marches, despite the risk of being beaten or put into jail.  The song urges the participants of the Civil Rights movement to remember the larger picture, and even suggests that blacks and whites could coexist harmoniously, using phrases like "hand in hand" and "We’re gonna ride for both black and white"

 

The Importance of Logos in "Letters from a Birmingham Jail"

                As we have learned from the previous blogs, King's audience were the the white preachers and clergymen who accused his nonviolent campaign of being extreme and troublesome. Therefore King's speech was an attempt to persuade his audience (WHITE clergymen and preachers) that his nonviolent campaigns were necessary but they were not troublesome. Henceforth King's appeal to logos proves historically that “extremist” causes are not always wrong, and can bring about positive, much needed change. 

• "So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here."
• "In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham." 

               The above quotes from MLK's letter reiterate his goal of persuading the clergymen that his cause is just and that his organized nonviolent protest are not meant to cause trouble, but to correct the wrong that was being done in Birmingham.  Additionally to King's logical appeal was the answer to why did he come there. King pointed out that injustice existed and action needed to be taken. These injustices included lunching, public places exclusivity toward the black community, drowning’s, and the list goes on.  The way the letter is composed it is to inform the clergymen of the just cause driving these protest and that is ill treatment of blacks. Secondly he addresses the type of injustice that he is referring to, so the clergymen know exactly what is driving the protest. Logic is MLK's most powerful tool in this letter because he makes strong claims and supports them with strong evidence. He attacks, refutes, and corrects the accusations from the clergymen and gives evidence as to why their views and opinions were wrong. 

Ethos of "Keep Your Eyes on The Prize"

The song "Keep Your Eye on The Prize" establishes ethos through references to Christianity and the relatable message it portrays. The song references Christianity when it says "aint been to heaven, but Ive been told the streets are paved with gold." This idea of Christianity in the song gives the song credibility because it shares the same principles that most of the audience believes in. The song also establishes ethos through its message. The simple message of "keep your eyes on the prize" is relevant to a large audience, which in turn increases its credibility with that particular audience.

Ethos of "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent civil rights figures during the 1960's. When King wrote the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail,"  he already had a strong following of people who believed in his ideals. Therefore, when King wrote his letter to the clergymen of Birmingham Alabama they had no choice but to listen to what King was saying. Dr. King also establishes ethos through references to other prominent figures. He quotes T.S Eliot, a world renowned poet, in order to make a point about the police force. Throughout the entire "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," King aims to not only get across his ideas, but to make others understand why they should listen and consider them. 

"We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights"

In A Letter from a Birmingham Jail, MLK's objective was to expose the institution of America's oppressive regime that wrongly put him in jail.  When closely analyzing the rhetorical appeals in the text, it is evident that MLK uses pathos frequently to outline his goals for the Civil Rights Movement and to respond to criticism of his non-violent aggression.  He wrote it directly in response to clergymen who called him an "extremist" and a "trouble maker."  King argues that he had every right to fight injustice and oppression in the country that he lived in.  The first instance of pathos used in his letter is in the third paragraph when he says, "...I am in Birmingham because injustice is here."  This accusation is a immediate shift from the first two paragraphs where he is telling the reader the literal events to how he ended up in jail.  Next, we see in paragraph 4 he compares himself to religious leaders from the bible in that his goal was to similarly "carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town."  This is an emotional appeal to his audience who should be religious.  In paragraph 4 especially MLK uses more pathos.  “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” “Whatever affects one directly, affects everyone indirectly.” The purpose of these statements are to get the reader to think and really invest in what MLK is saying.  And to show why it is necessary that injustice is dealt with in all states from Atlanta to Birmingham.  King goes on to explain his direct action policies which are a direct use of Non-violent protest.  You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" This use of presumptive questioning is an example of an appeal to pathos and the readers emotions of King's actions.  The last two important statements of pathos in his letter is when he says "We have waited more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights."  This is supposed to stir up a sense of black nationalism and unity unto its reader.  And lastly in the same paragraph he states “...when you suddenly find your tongue-twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year old daughter why she can’t go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children.” This emotional appeal is supposed to make the reader feel apathetic to the little girl and realize how misfortunate she is. MLK proved to be a rhetorical genius through his Letters of a Birmingham Jail

Hold On. . . Freedom Is Coming

Every now and then people needed to be reminded of what’s ahead and during the Civil Rights Movement what was ahead was freedom. “Keep Your Eyes On The Prize” by Sweet Honey in The Rock was that influential song that inspired many to keep up the fight for freedom. During the Civil Rights Moment violence was at an all-time high. Lynching, bombing, burning, violent beatings, shootings, and just about any form of cruel injustice imaginable was thriving during this era. Many fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons were lost during this pivotal era in history causing many to lose hope and lose sight of the freedom ahead. The African American community needed hope and they usually found such hope in spirituals.  Spirituals were usually accapella songs that were an outpour of suppressed emotion intertwined with biblical stories; these songs would often be sung at church gatherings and during protest walks. This particular spiritual “Keep Your Eyes On The Prize” is a reminder to the African American community that no matter what their situation looked like, they should keep their eye focused on the prize of freedom which would someday come.    

What compelled King to write "Letter From A Birmingham Jail"?

Birmingham, Alabama was a city described by Martin Luther King Jr. as America’s most racist and worst cities. The city of Birmingham was arguably the most segregated city with unjust court treatment and record breaking brutality against the Negros. This violence included frequent bombing of Negro homes and churches. Things became so incredibly bad that the Alabama Christian Movement contacted King, the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to come and engage in the necessary nonviolent action program in Birmingham. On April 10, 1963 just before King’s arrival in Birmingham the Commissioner of Public Safety, Bull Connor attained an injunction that banned all protest and increased the bail bonds for those arrested. On April 12, King and others were arrested for violating Alabama’s law against mass public protest which later becomes known as the Birmingham Campaign. During King’s imprisonment religious leaders and clergymen publicly criticize the Birmingham Campaign in a newspaper segment called “A Call to Unity”. This provoked King to respond to what became famously known as the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”  This letter was written to clarify the goals for his Birmingham protest as well as to inform and correct the clergymen that he was not there to cause trouble but to promote justice. Throughout this famous letter, King implemented rhetorical language to persuade the leaders of social justice to advocate their cause. Since the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was also publicly read, King also used it to encourage protest because he believed that men had a moral responsibility to break unjust laws in nonviolent way. 

Keep your eye on the prize-- Audience for Protest

The song “keep your eye on the prize” was a song of encouragement for African Americans during the civil rights movement. The song lyrics are easy to sing but still carry a powerful message and therefore were a favorite among protestors. The song most likely loudly chorused on the streets during the protest of many cities. The song resonated with the people who were feeling overwhelmingly oppressed and beaten from the nastiness of racism. It is difficult to imagine what it was like to be an African American during this time period in American history. This song definitely helped its audience. It encouraged the African American community to keep fighting for racial equality. Because of it’s religious connotations the song was most likely sung throughout church audiences in the south and throughout the nation. The catchy lyrics probably gained popularity with the younger generation as well as with the old. The song also became popular with other parts of the population. The song was sung by white, folk singer Pete Seeger at Carnegie hall in 1963. Many Contemporary artists such as Bruce Springsteen, and Joss Stone have also sung the song.

-Adam 

The Letter from Birmingham Jail addressed the nation

         The purpose of MLK’s letter was to respond to criticism, to gain national attention and to encourage his followers to keep protesting. This letter was published by several major newspapers and became national news and therefore gained a widespread and diverse audience. Many Americans during this period in history were racist and slow to accept racial equality. The civil rights movement was just beginning to make progress and blacks still were not treated equally as whites. The city of Birmingham and the south were very slow to progress towards equality. However, the north had a different audience. More people were beginning to recognize that blacks and whites should be treated equally. The Letter from Birmingham jail was a rebuttal to a letter that criticizes MLK’s nonviolent protests, however MLK’s  also sends a message to the nation. He shows his supporters and the African American community the reasons behind nonviolent protest and direct action.  

-Adam