Letter from Birmingham Jail
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A beautiful commemorative edition of Dr. Martin Luther King’s essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” part of Dr. King’s archives published exclusively by HarperCollins.
With an afterword by Reginald Dwayne Betts
On April 16, 1923, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., responded to an open letter written and published by eight white clergyman admonishing the civil rights demonstrations happening in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. King drafted his seminal response, a foundational text of the Civil Rights Movement, on scraps of paper smuggled into jail. King criticizes his detractors for caring more about order than justice, defends nonviolent protests, and argues for the moral responsibility to obey just laws while disobeying unjust ones.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” proclaims a message - confronting any injustice is an acceptable and righteous reason for civil disobedience.
This beautifully designed edition presents Dr. King’s speech in its entirety, paying tribute to this extraordinary leader and his immeasurable contribution, and inspiring a new generation of activists dedicated to carrying on the fight for social justice and equality.
Why is this letter, born from a jail cell, a timeless and essential call for justice?
Critique of the White Moderate: A powerful examination of why Dr. King considered the “white moderate,” more devoted to order than to justice, a greater obstacle to freedom than overt opposition.Nonviolent Direct Action: Dr. King masterfully defends the strategy of nonviolent protest, explaining why creating “creative tension” is necessary to force negotiation and drive social change.Civil Disobedience: Explore the moral argument for breaking unjust laws while maintaining the highest respect for justice, a philosophy that has influenced protest movements for decades.A Call to Activism: Discover the enduring message that inspires new generations to confront injustice and fight for a more equitable society, making this a foundational text for today’s activists.
Customer Reviews
HIGH 5
Even though Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most famous people ever, most people know next to nothing about him. They know about the I Have a Dream speech, but have never listened to it. They know about the holiday, but not what he did to deserve one. I looked forward into actually reading something written by such a famous figure.
After reading, it is so easy to see why MLK is so revered today. Dude is a generational spitter. There is so much about this letter that is extremely relevant today. For starters, the framing and perspective in the letter to MLK is so revealing. The authors of that letter use the same type of arguments against protesting that we see from conservatives today. They say that the protesting goes too far, but also that it is counterintuitive to the cause they're protesting. They say that it incites hatred, but ignore the ever present hatred that is being protested in the first place. And lastly, they hide behind the term of "common sense" as a thought terminating cliche and a guise.
There is not much about these arguments I can say that MLK doesn't address in the actual letter. He does such a good job explaining the hypocrisy of the criticism. I especially enjoyed the section about "White Moderates" and its discussion about order vs. justice. MLK does a phenomenal job displaying the hypocrisy of how people say they are for a cause, but are consistently against the people who actually fight for it. If you say you are for justice, but not at the sake of disorder, you are not for justice. The seek and fight for justice should always come before the perceived safety of order. Especially because that "safety", is only safety for some.