Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential leader during the Civil Rights movement. His powerful speeches are burned into people’s minds, even if they were not alive during this time period, and he influenced great change and progress with his words. One of the most important texts from this time period is an open letter he wrote, simply titled “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. This letter brought up pressing matters of police brutality, unjust courts, cruel acts against black people, and the importance of peaceful protests. By bringing up these important injustices, Martin Luther King Jr. inspired many, and this letter became responsible for strengthening a peaceful, yet powerful revolution against the common racial injustices African Americans faced all over the country.

African Americans in Alabama started the fight for their basic rights right after slavery ended in 1865. In the 1950s, segregation was a given in essentially every state. There were segregated restaurants, schools, public bathrooms, and transportation. Birmingham, Alabama was what Dr. King said in his letter, the “most thoroughly segregated state in the United States”. College students in Alabama organized sit ins, resulting in nine black teens at Alabama State University to be expelled. After this, thousands of students rallied to show support for those who were punished. When the Freedom Riders came into Alabama, they were met with violent, brutal hatred from racist whites. Almost two hundred men in Anniston, Alabama attacked the first bus and then firebombed it. Following this, another group of men violently beat a group of Freedom Riders when the bus pulled into the station in Birmingham. In Montgomery, the police refused to protect the activists and allowed a mob to attack them. During the bus segregation, black men and women would have to pay the bus fare at the front and then board the bus at the back. Whenever the white section in the front would fill up, it was expected that African Americans in the next row would surrender their seat to the white person. However, in 1955, Rosa Parks bravely refused to give up her seat to a white person. This resulted in her being dragged off the bus, arrested, and then fined. This incident enraged the black community and a one-day bus boycott was arranged. Over 30,000 African Americans supported this boycott and walked instead of using the buses. Civil Rights leaders began to organize more boycotts and protests and recruited the help of Martin Luther King Jr. The one-day boycott eventually turned into a yearlong event; their resolve stayed strong, despite the long walks to and from work and the violence they faced from white people. Alabama has a history of brutality against African Americans, which makes it unsurprising that Martin Luther King Jr. would focus his efforts on this state.

Martin Luther King Jr. was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. This organization was designed to appoint leaders for the Civil Rights Movement, thus making him responsible for leading peaceful sit ins and protests upon his election. By 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was at the front of multiple of these nonviolent acts of protest. In April of this year, King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference started to work with the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Their plans were to use direct action to put pressure on the segregation system in Birmingham. The protests and sit ins they had planned were originally set to take place in March, however, they were postponed when a moderate candidate beat out Eugene “Bull” Connor for mayor. (Birmingham Campaign).  Since this was seen as a small win for the black community, their plans changed for a later date. On April 10, 1963, an injunction was placed against protests, but this did not deter Dr. King. He saw this injunction as unconstitutional. On April 12, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led his followers in a protest, despite the injunction prohibiting it. He knew the risks he was facing, but still he continued to fight against the unjust use of the legal system in Birmingham. In consequence, Dr. King was arrested for leading large protests that violated the anti-protest junction. The white clergy of Birmingham then released a statement urging Martin Luther King Jr. and his followers to hold off on civil right demonstrations. They referred to him as an “outside agitator” and criticized his actions as “unwise and untimely”, believing that racial injustices should only be settled through negotiations and in court. (Public Statement by Eight Alabama Clergymen.) After he was arrested, a friend smuggled in a copy of the newspaper that contained the letter from the clergymen. This prompted the famous response from Martin Luther King Jr. (King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, 50 Years Later). 

Following King’s arrest, he was thrown into solitary confinement. During this time, he was refused the right to call his wife or lawyers. When he was given a copy of the newspaper, he began to construct the now famous letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail”.  The purpose of this letter was to first and foremost respond to the allegations made by the clergymen in their own letter, but it was also to bring attention to the underlying racial issues and circumstances in Birmingham. He opens the letter by addressing the clergymen and explaining his reasoning for being in their city. He explains the work the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights were doing, and how the affiliates from Birmingham extended the invitation to Martin Luther King Jr. and other members of his staff. He makes biblical references in order to address the accusations of being an “outside agitator”. He compares himself to the Apostle Paul, stating he must spread the gospel of freedom. (Letter from Birmingham). An important excerpt from this text reads,

I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. (Letter from Birmingham Jail).

 Though he is addressing the clergymen, his message is focused towards anyone who may read his letter. Martin Luther King Jr. clearly stated the reasoning behind their community’s actions, and he urged everyone, in particular the clergymen, to open their eyes to the injustices and act with love, rather than hate. In another direct statement towards the clergymen, he says,

There was a time when the church was very powerful--in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example, they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are. 

In this quote he is reminding them that they were once in the same position as the black community, simply because they loved God and preached the good news. People who followed a religion that promoted love for your neighbors and acceptance, were thought of as lesser than others. Christians know what it is like to be discriminated against, even though their intentions were always pure and full of love. Ironically, it is now Christians who are persecuting a movement that promotes all of the same ideals, with a very similar outcome – equality for all mankind. Martin Luther King Jr. states in his letter that he encourages tension, stating that it can be good and productive. The reasoning behind the non-violent protests is to actually cultivate this tension in order to force citizens and leaders to confront the issues they refuse to acknowledge. The tension Dr. King is trying to build between the two races is not to further deteriorate the relations between them, but instead his purpose is to dramatize the issue, in order to make it dire enough that it will force the door to negotiation open. In his letter he states,

Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. (Letter from Birmingham Jail). 

He then goes on to talk about unjust treatment the African American community has faced. For example, the unfair treatment of the courts, unsolved bombing of African American homes and churches, humiliating signs in store windows, police brutality, lynchings, and the lack of basic human respect, such as always being referred to as “nigger” or “boy”. The letter calls out white moderates for allowing these injustices to continue. He tells them they value order over justice. Martin Luther King Jr. gives concrete examples of the promises that were broken, such as the crude signs in the store windows that were promised would be taken down if they did not march in protest. He backs up the actions his followers and himself took, stating that they addressed the situation beforehand, held workshops on non-violent protests, and attempted to negotiate with leaders who would refuse them. This letter blatantly calls out citizens for their disgusting actions – whether they participated in these cruel acts or merely stood by and let it happen – and it informs those around the country of the true nature of the treatment that is especially heinous in Alabama. 

Martin Luther King Jr.’s tactics were not the typical course of action most leaders took. He opted out of violence and encouraged his followers to act with love, not hate. King found inspiration in the ways of Gandhi, the Bible, and philosophers such as Tolstoy and Socrates. He used these powerful influences in his speeches to emphasize and strengthen his points.  What was truly remarkable about Martin Luther King Jr., was his dedication to peace. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail” he remarks, “We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" (Letter from Birmingham Jail.) This quotation is important because it shows the public that the movement is not about violence, and that any violence reported at their protests were not caused by his followers. Martin Luther King Jr. always urged his supporters to love and promote peace. In his letter he states,

For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies--a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare. (Letter from Birmingham Jail.)

This statement shows how desperate and angry the black community truly is, it shows how badly they want equality and freedom. It is a statement that should have made those in power in Birmingham realize the fight will keep going and could possibly get worse. 

Change did not immediately follow the publication of Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter. It caught the attention of media that reached both races and influenced many moderates. The events following helped the movement gain the support of even more people. Two weeks after his release from jail, more than 1,000 young children opted out of going to school, and instead participated in the Children's Crusade to fight for integration and equality. Birmingham commissioner of safety reacted by sending out police dogs and giving orders to spray the young protestors with fire hoses. This, however, ended up back firing on the police force. These cruel acts were broadcasted on television and as a result, many Americans were horrified by this footage. Birmingham had started to become chaotic. Local officials had no other choice but to meet with Dr. King and other leaders to negotiate and settle the issues. The attention that Martin Luther King Jr. brought to Birmingham prompted President Kennedy to write a civil rights bill. Following this, there was a march on Washington, where more than 250,000 people of all races and genders came together to show support for President Kennedy’s new bill. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech, "I Have a Dream".  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed in July of 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This bill guaranteed that black men and women were allowed in all public facilities, outlawing segregation. A year later, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was also passed. This law prohibited illegal legislation such as literacy tests and poll taxes to prevent people from their basic right to vote. 

Martin Luther King Jr. sparked a revolution of peace with his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. In a well-written, powerful letter he opened the eyes of Americans and showed the country the cruel nature of the injustices African Americans faced during this time period, particularly in Alabama. This letter was a major turning point in the Civil Rights Movement since it helped gain the support of all different kinds of people, of all races. It was a major factor in uniting the country against the hatred that existed, it helped people understand the importance of fighting back with love and strength, not violence and cruelty. Martin Luther King Jr. stated clearly the intent of those who were rallying against the injustice they were facing, making it blatant that their intent was not to put themselves above white men and women, but instead to finally make them equal. This movement was not one out of hatred or bad intentions, it was created out of hope and determination for a better future. 
