After the Cold War, there was an influx of conservatism, and traditional norms opposing change or innovation, which deterred many African Americans from taking part in United States society, especially in the South. Because whites were having the times of their life, during the 1950s more referred to as the “Golden Age”, many of them had the privilege of owning a Television by the time John F. Kennedy ran for the presidency. John F. Kennedy won the presidency by an enormous landslide, versus Richard Nixon, which eventually became one of the closest in United States history. Civil Rights movements began in the 1950s, but many of its most important movements such as Sit-ins, Freedom Riders, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), happened in the 1960s. Sit-ins took place in Greensboro North Carolina, in February 1960, which consisted of black university students walking into Woolworths and waiting at the lunch counters to be served, which eventually got them in remission. Sit-ins were regularly used by Congress for Racial Equality and SCLC. This initiative successfully got Woolworths to serve black customers and contributed to the creation of SNCC. After the Sit-ins, Freedom Riders occurred in the summer of 1961, where CORE attempted to force the integration of interstate bus stations in the South. Volunteers rode into the South to confront their issues. Eventually, a bus was blown up in Gadsden, Alabama. In September 1961, the ICC enforced desegregation. The 1960s were actively working for change through many initiatives and enforcement.
Because of these several initiatives, many people had something to criticize, especially eight Alabama Clergymen. The Clergymen’s statement mentioned how ending segregation should be done in courts rather than the absurd direct actions Martin Luther King had been advocating for and that the people part taking into these actions were outsiders rather than responsible citizens.
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“Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is a response to what the eight Alabama clergymen had to say about Martin Luther King’s “unwise and untimely”, as King states in the letter, direct actions. Martin King initiates by stating that if he had paid attention to all the criticism everyone had given him throughout his efforts, he would not have had time to do something productive but since he believes the Clergymen meant their criticism, he would make an exception by proving his point. Martin Luther King mentions how he is in the Birmingham jail, not because he was arrested for “parading” without a permit, but rather because he is in alliance with Birmingham and because there is injustice happening in the city. King proceeds by comparing a lot of great biblical figures and mentioning how he responds with aid when it is needed just like many prophets did. Because of injustice, King mentions how “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” meaning that although there is injustice in Birmingham, that unfairness can later be spread throughout the world. King also mentions how the Clergymen act shocked and concerned by the actions taken place in Birmingham jail, but what they had to say about King’s ‘unwise and untimely” actions proves otherwise. Although it is hapless to see all the actions taken place in Birmingham, it is the only way it could be done, because there was no other option the Negro community had been left with. The incidents happening in Birmingham are not just because King believes there is injustice, but rather because he is assertive there is by going through the four basic steps; verifying facts of injustices occurring rather than opinions, consultation, self-cleanse, and head-on action. All these four steps show that Birmingham indeed is the most segregated city in the United States. Because not only the clergymen doubted his skill of direct action, King insinuates that direct action is a pre-requisite to negotiation, because without this forum there would be no tension created and people would just ignore them. The Negro community can no longer wait. They had already waited 340 years for slaves to be granted freedom, why should they wait for more if “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” otherwise, it would not be granted solely. King proceeds by stating how can someone explain to many victims why it is the way it is, and why are people unfair to the negro community because of skin complexion. What even makes a law a law? If only law is created when it is fair and when it is equal. So why would one follow the law of unfairness and mistreatment if it stands immorally? If what Hitler thought was “legal” was inhumane, it must be the same thing happening again. History repeats itself if one lets it. Because Martin Luther King was viewed as an extremist, he embraced it because extreme should not be looked like a horrible concept but rather a passionate one just like God was an extremist in love. When one is degraded too much, there comes a point where they become exhausted because of it. Ultimately, there is an evident disappointment portrayed with the white churches and everyone oblivious about the injustice. King concludes by insinuating that if any part of the letter was found offensive, he apologizes for it.
Throughout the document, it was evident that Martin Luther King was devasted and exhausted by what many critics had to say about his intake into the matter of unfairness. The letter was a form of respectively rebelling against what people had to say about his direct-action initiative. Because of this amazing response, the “Letter of Birmingham Jail”, is the most important written document of the civil rights era and played an immense role in the 1960s because it portrayed the idealism behind the first-ever non-violent organization that had been successful. The Civil Rights Era was only successful because of King’s idealism in direct action, just like the letter mentions.
Retrospectively, King’s response was strong enough to foreshadow the refutation that many would lash back after it had been exposed. One must think about what others would respond to it and use it as a weakness. Adding emotion to sympathetic scenarios, when mentioning his six-year-old daughter, adds the perspective of an innocent child who had no say in what color she was born with.
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