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
This makes me wonder the actual effect that the letter had on the people.
ReplyDelete-Dharani K.
I wonder why this particular letter was picked up by newspaper over others. What is it exactly that made this letter so special and powerful when compared to others of that time?
ReplyDelete~Sammy Schultz
I suggest that you guys read MLK's letter if you haven't done so recently. I remember reading this letter in the past, but reading it again made me remember why I liked it so much. MLK really knows how to use language, and how to create beautiful arguments. It's crazy that he was able to write this while in jail on newspaper scraps.
ReplyDelete-adam
This letter has always left a long lasting impression on me ever since I read it in high school. The way MLK addresses the clergyman is peaceful and he leaves it impossible to find a way to misrepresent his purpose because he relies his information in a kind positive way. The fact that it was published was interesting because it sort of put these eight religious figures in the publics eye and people could openly see the conversation going on between them and MLK.
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