Letter from Birmingham Jail: Martin Luther King's Fight for Justice - Essay Sample

Introduction

The “letter from Birmingham jail” serves a basic purpose of self-defense, that Martin Luther King sought to use as a shield against the reigning criticism from numerous leaders. Even though the locking of Luther in the Birmingham jail was deemed as a means of reducing the impact he had created on a high campaign about racism, Martin brings to our attention how the justice system has been unfair, especially to the people of color. His decrying message about the increased unfairness to the African American community defines how the American government has turned its back on the American citizen. Therefore, Luther’s revolution, which sought for fairness and equality, brought about the miss understanding and criticism that led to Martin’s response through a rhetorical letter written from the walls of a tinny cell that offers no comfort to its inhabitants. Thus, the essay seeks to critically summarize Martin’s ideas in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

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Strategies

Luther employs several strategies as a means of conveying his argument in the letter. Nevertheless, Luther uses one particular approach in conveying his message, making him stand out, which has permitted him to fluctuate his tone in the quest to reach dozens of audiences. As a result, the fluctuation concept has earned the reader’s sympathy, which has been achieved through a comprehensive detailing of events. King utilizes “letter from….” as a means to exploit his ideas and thoughts, which captures the audience, helping him to maximize his goals.

Letters are meant to be personal, addressing a specific group of audience, or a person. In this case, the title of the letter corresponds to the sender, making it easier to trace the route and the origin of the letter. However, King uses a different concept, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” as a way of capturing the attention of a diverse audience. King outlines the origin of the letter as a way of popularizing the message. Even though the letter was critically responding to the criticism about his actions, King’s choice of the title draws more audience to the powerful piece of message jotted on the paper.

Another critical strategy used by King in writing the letter is the aiming of a particular audience. Luther writes the letter as if it corresponds between two groups. However, he was fully aware that the letter was reaching more than a group of clergymen. Thus, King makes a refined choice of strategies in spilling the bins, about government oppression, broken promises, as well as oppression of the Negroes from the Birmingham police.

Purpose of the Letter

The purpose of Martin’s letter is echoed on his outlining of the level of injustice at Birmingham, where he and other members had been invited. “So I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here” (XIONG, 2018). Martin does not pounce on the evil committed by the Birmingham jail but slowly unveils the oppression, which has been described through the fusing of both historical and biblical events. “Just as the eight-century prophets left their little villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord,” I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.”

Martin outlines his innocence and the response to the call by depicting the value and role of Paul in spreading the gospel. “like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid” (XIONG, 2018). Through this description, Luther explicitly outlines his role and position in spreading freedom to every oppressed African American.

The criticism of Luther’s activities has been termed as untimely. Moreover, martin has also been considered as an “outsider agitator.” King clears the platform by echoing the idea about the equity to anyone living in the land of the brave and the land of freedom. “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this nation” (XIONG, 2018).

As a way of responding to the demonstrations that broke lose, Luther brings our attention to the injustice events of the Birmingham police department and their open discrimination events on blacks. “Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of the country.” Luther outlined that it is unfair treatment of the Negroes in the court system, which has practiced discrimination in broad daylight. “There have been many unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham,” yet these events continue to take longer than expected (XIONG, 2018). The delays on Negroes when they need the government to support them it is a clear definition of how racism has cut through the nation like a knife on butter.

Explain how you plan to use the development strategy in your Portfolio Project.

One of the means to attract an audience to the project is through adopting a unique heading that captures the audience’s attention. For instance, King’s choice of title and its origin, “Letter from……,” highly engages the audience to the project. As a result, a similar concept can be adopted during title choosing to help ensure that the audience is well engaged in the project.

King has utilized facts and evidence throughout the letter to help back up his claims. As a result, this makes the letter more authentic and less susceptible to dismissal. Therefore, a similar concept can be used in a project to help support the authenticity of the entire project.

Reference

XIONG, L. (2018). American Thought Embodied in “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” DEStech Transactions on Social Science, Education, and Human Science, (meit).doi.10.12783/dtssehs/meit2018/27647