Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pioneered the Civil Rights Movement for Blacks in America from about 1954 until his untimely death in 1968. Martin Luther King Jr. has gone down in history as one of the world’s greatest leaders, preachers, teachers, and orators. He has given some of the most moving speeches in American history. He is also known for his great written works, many in the form of sermons. Among these, is his infamous Letter from Birmingham Jail, written on April 16, 1963. 1963 was a busy year in American history, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech during the height of the civil rights movement, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and as a country, we witnessed the beginnings of Beatlemania. These are just some of the events that make 1963 one of the most memorable years in U.S. history. Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed 30 times throughout the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, originally written on scraps of newspaper, was written as a response to a group of clergymen. A group of eight clergymen from Alabama wrote Dr. King while he was incarcerated in Birmingham, essentially requesting that he delay civil rights demonstrations in Birmingham. He responded with one of the most moving messages in history, and his words, changed the course of history forever. Written within the four cement walls of a cell, on a scrap of newspaper, Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is one of the most dynamic pieces of literature ever, and is still read and analyzed in schools today. Through his use of eloquent language, a forthright tone, and lyrical syntax he expressed the plight of the 1960’s negro in hopes of exemplifying why he could not wait for justice, why the fight had to move forward.
After the clergymen write Dr. King essentially asking him to leave Birmingham, and to not stir up trouble in their territory, Dr. King responds by telling them why he’s there. He says that he is in Birmingham because that’s where injustice is. He then writes one of his most infamous lines, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He expresses that he cannot sit idly by in Atlanta while his people are being oppressed in Birmingham. He also writes that “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” He is saying, that contrary to common belief, America is his home, and he is here because he has the right to be here. He refers to the fact that the injustice in Birmingham left the Negro community with no alternative but to fight back. He goes on to list more reasons why Birmingham is his current focus, he discusses how Birmingham had the highest concentration unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches. He then writes about how he tried to negotiate, and he was left with broken promises. This past Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales dropped by over 11%, and this could be attributed to many different nationwide economic factors, but most speculate that it is the result of African Americans boycotting the shopping extravaganza after the acquittal of Officer Darren Wilson.Officer Wilson shot and killed black teen, Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri August of 2014. These tactics originated with Dr. King, as a form of peaceful protest. Dr. King goes on to say that he has to create tension and discomfort in order to spark change and growth. Dr. King proposes that maybe it is easier for those who are not suffering to say “wait”. Dr. King then uses vivid language and description to paint a picture in the clergymen’s mind’s eye of what blacks have gone through in this country. As African Americans, then and now, it is very meet, right, and in our bounden duty that we should at all times and in all places disobey unjust laws. Dr. King disobeyed the laws because they were unjust, unfair, and morally wrong in the sight of not only those with a conscience but God as well.
Dr. King lets them know that his actions are not extreme, but necessary. Dr. King makes a bold move when he challenges the church to step up and play its part in ending segregation or face God and answer why they didn’t. He says that he is “profoundly troubled” by that fact that his fellow clergymen commended the Birmingham police force on keeping peaceful Negro protestors in order. He says that he is inclined to believe that they would revoke that commendation if they saw how the vicious police dogs tore at the flesh of innocent Negros. How dogs who see no color no race, religion, or socio economic status were trained and to attack innocent civilians, peacefully protesting based on the color of their skin.
One day, in my first hour honors philosophy class, we were discussing the origination of human rights, and my teacher had us do an exercise in which we were asked to choose the human rights that we absolutely could not live without. Many of my peers chose the right to education, or the right to a fair trial. I go to school in Birmingham, Michigan. The Birmingham Public Schools District is one of the most highly acclaimed in the country, it is in a very affluent area, and it is 80% White. I consider myself blessed to be able to go to a school with a diverse racial demographic. However in class, we had to go around and say the right that we simply could not live without, and I said something different than everyone else in my class; I said that I could not live without the right to cultural, ethnic, and religious traditions.
Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail is riddled with biblical allusions, Dr. King relied on the Lord’s guiding hand to direct his path. Rev. King’s favorite song was a hymn called “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” written by black gospel singer Tommy Dorsey after the consecutive deaths of his wife and new born baby boy. The chorus is “Precious Lord, take my hand lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am lone. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light. Take my hand precious Lord, and lead me home.” Some consider this the theme song of the civil rights movement. This is why I value my right to my religious, cultural, and ethnic traditions, because as African Americans, our religion, and music and dance are the cuts that we bleed through.
I don’t think that anyone else in the class chose that right as the one that they valued most because their ancestors had not been enslaved for over 400 years and stripped of everything but their beliefs, and music, and traditions. 30% of African slaves brought to the Americas did not survive the middle passage. Of those that did many died upon landing because their bodies were not equipped with the immunities to infection and diseases that were in America at the time. As a young African American woman I know that I come from the strongest most resilient people on the planet. They were stripped of everything and when they finally were freed they had no rights. We used our religious traditions and music and dance to get through some of history’s darkest times.
Recently, the movie Selma was released in theaters, which chronicles Dr. King’s three month campaign for equal voting rights in Selma, Alabama. The story addresses the constant struggles and violent opposition that Dr. King and his associates faced when fighting for equal rights. Glory, the theme song of the movie by John Legend and Commons has a lyric that says “Now the war is not over, victory isn't won, but we'll fight on to the finish, and when it's all done; We'll cry glory, oh glory.” We have not come out of the darkness. We have made great strides, but we have not won, it is not finished. Dr. King started this fight and we must finish it. My ancestors were not brutally beaten and killed, stripped from their homes and families in vain. I will carry the torch, I will march on in place of our fallen soldiers. When we truly reach victory, when equality for all no matter the race, religion, gender, class, sexual orientation, or income is reached, I will cry glory, glory, glory halleluiah!