
Many high school and college students today learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. and what he did for this country. Students have learned about him and the Civil Rights Movement for their entire lives, and they learn about how racism was a prevalent problem in the 1960s. While reading “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” people can understand what Martin Luther King, Jr. felt at this time, but people will never truly understand what racism was really like at this time. By looking at the racial inequalities of the 1960s, it is apparent why this letter was written during his time in jail.

Segregation was a very serious problem in the 1960s and the reason people knew who Martin Luther King, Jr. was. He fought for equal rights and the desegregation of the United States during this time. The Civil Rights Movement occurred from 1954 to 1968 and was a mass protest against discrimination and segregation. Many African Americans fought for what they believed in and were punished for acting out against authorities. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a peaceful protestor and civil rights activist who was also punished during this time. Blacks wanted to be treated equally, but whites didn’t want their lives to change, which caused much chaos in the 1960s. Things that seem so simple now, such as going to school together, eating at the same restaurants, sharing a work place, or even using the same water fountains, were not so simple in the 1960s. These were the main reasons for the Civil Rights Movement and for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter. Many people could consider the Civil Rights Movement successful, as it brought many people together and essentially ended racial inequality, but it in no way ended racism. 

The aims of the Civil Rights Movement are apparent in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s text. He writes because there is injustice in Birmingham and across the country and he wants his voice to be heard. He writes because blacks are treated unfairly and it is time for a change to be made. He writes that people have a moral responsibility to break laws that are unjust and to take action because otherwise nothing would change. The clergymen that Martin Luther King, Jr. was writing to disapproved of many nonviolent protests such as sit-ins and marches, but this letter further proves how effective peaceful protests are. 

In the article “Sit-ins: Social Action to End Segregation,” it talks about the first sit-ins and how these made a difference in the Civil Rights Movement. Sit-ins were basically a form of protest where participants occupy a place, refusing to leave until their demands are met. This was popular with black college students who would sit in restaurants reserved for white people and wait until they were served. This is the type of peaceful protest Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted to happen because they are not causing harm to anyone, they just simply want justice. Reading about sit-ins and how much trouble they caused really makes readers understand racism and discrimination at this time. Something as simple as sitting down in a restaurant and wanting to be served seems to be so normal now, but opens our eyes as to how bad racism was during the 1960s. This also shows the type of person Martin Luther King, Jr. was because many other civil rights activists at this time called for violence to get justice. He did not want violence, but simply sitting in a restaurant and refusing to leave. These peaceful protests seemed to be more successful and get the point across. 

In one section of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter, he discusses how he thought the leaders of white churches would support him in the Montgomery bus protest. He states that they ended up being strong opponents and refused to understand the freedom movement. This shows how most people were against these movements, even the leaders of churches. This shows that people may seem to be supportive but when the time comes to protest and fight, people back out because they don’t want to be punished. Martin Luther King, Jr. himself was a church leader and a well-respected man, but because of the color of his skin, white church leaders acted like they were higher up than him and did not support his protest. This makes it apparent the type of hurdles the African American community had to go through to get to where they are now. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was obviously a man that many looked up to and knew he wouldn’t give up without a fight. In one section of this letter, he writes about how much African Americans have been through and how they will get through this too. “We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom… For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages… and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop.” This whole section discusses why African Americans are doing what they are doing and why he will not stop until he has achieved his goal. This section is one of the many reasons why so many people looked up the Martin Luther King, Jr. and everything he did for this community. He talks about slavery and how African Americans got through that, so they will not stop fighting now to get what they deserve. America is a country of freedom and that is exactly what the blacks were fighting for during this movement.

Considering that Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” to voice is opinion about the current situation of African Americans in the South, many would say his point got across to everyone and made a difference. According to the article “Was the Civil Rights Movement Successful? Tracking and Understanding Black Views,” black voter registration in the South rose from 25% to 66% over the course of the Civil Rights Movement. Black poverty rates decreased from 48% to 30% in ten years. Black family income increased 53%, all a direct response of the Civil Rights Movement. Many say that Martin Luther King, Jr. is to thank for all of the changes made within the African American community in the South. Racism may still have occurred and some may say it always will, but these numbers alone are because of the Civil Rights Movement and that is considered a success.

This letter confirms what we already knew about this historical era and culture, and it really goes in depth to readers about how bad this time was. No college students today were alive to experience the Civil Rights Movement or serious racism in America, but reading and continuing to learn about it helps us better understand what it was really like. This letter may contain relevant criticisms to today that we should all pay attention to. Racism is something that still occurs and will probably occur for many years to come. No one has an explanation for this and many try to deny that racism is still prevalent in today’s society. This letter may be an eye opener for people reading it today because maybe our society isn’t as different from the 1960s as we think it is. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement helped in breaking social norms and making it acceptable for blacks and whites to mix. There was a lot of progress made during this time, but America still has a long way to go. I think “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” will probably always be relevant until justice is everywhere.