Letter from Birmingham Jail

Birmingham, Alabama was known for its brutal and unjust treatment of African
Americans during the Civil Rights Movement, earning the title of Americas worst city for
racism. Churches and houses were bombed, women and children were beaten, and
black men were killed without an ounce of remorse or any lawful consequence.
In 1963, all eyes were on Birmingham as four girls attending Sunday school were
wrongfully killed from an explosion of dynamite placed under the steps of the Sixteenth
Street Baptist Church. Martin Luther King Jr a passionate activist and leader in the
Civil Rights Movementand other Southern Christian Leadership Conference
organizers formulated a plan for nonviolent protests, recruiting volunteers and giving
workshops from the small room of a local hotel.
Martin Luther King Jr. was seen as a ray of hope in the African-American
community as he represented the shared dream of racial desegregation, yet the white
community viewed him as a nuisance and a threat to their oppression.
Using my artifact, Letter from Birmingham Jail, I will begin by connecting the
artifact with its context and then proceed to analyze the effects of MLKs rhetoric on the
intended audience through the use of the Neo-Aristotelian approach and the 5 canons
of classical rhetoric. I will then move on to describe the effects of the artifact.

Context
I will investigate the three major components of the context which are MLK as the
rhetor, the occasion on which the rhetoric was presented, and the audience.
Martin Luther King Jr. attended segregated public schools during his youth and
was mentored by Morehouses president Dr. Benjamin Mays, an influential theologian
and outspoken advocate for racial equality. These two facts played a vital role in his
belief in desegregation, preparing him for his leadership role in the advocacy of racial
justice and his teachings of religious truths. His training in theology at the Crozer
Theological Seminary and Boston University helped to establish his credibility as an
established and intellectual speaker, which is evident in his rhetorical work. MLK
frequently refers to Biblical characters, as well as Gods position in his work and the
work of his oppressors. At the time of the Birmingham protests he was already president
of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference where he traveled over six million
miles and spoke publically over twenty-five hundred times. He led protests, and
established himself as a rhetor through the publishing of five books and articles. MLKs
extensive training and experience helped him to gain the trust of his audience.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail was not only geared towards the clergymen
but also to the nation as a whole. By describing the hardships of African Americans in
such vivid detail, outlining the thoughts that lay deep within the dark crevice of their
minds, he purposely places the white community in the shoes of the blacks while also
establishing a connection with the black community. However, he also expresses his
disappointment in the violent groups spreading throughout the black community. Dr.
King seeks to reach the religious community, challenging the authenticity of their

practices. He writes that he has watched so many churches commit themselves to a

completely otherworldy religion.
Blacks were denied their civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama and racial tension
was at an all time high. Out of 80,000 registered voters only 10,000 were black. As a
result Dr. King began his intervention, gathering up supporters and formulating plans.

Invention
While confined to a cramped, narrow cell in the Birmingham jail, Martin Luther
King Jr. admits to having nothing to occupy his time except to write long letters, think
strange thoughts, and pray long prayers. It is through his confinement that he found the
inspiration and commitment of time to address the statement of concern and caution
from the eight white religious leaders through the use of carefully selected wording and
appeals.
First we will start out by examining Dr. Kings use of ethos. Fairly early in the
letter, he defended himself against the outsider idea by indicating that he was invited
to Birmingham, and had a duty to his organizational ties to carry out. No matter the
seriousness of the content he maintains a high level of respect for his audience
throughout the entire letter, calling them men of genuine good will and sirs, even when
their choice of words against him and his work were not chosen as delicately. They
criticized his demonstrations calling them unwise and untimely, and blindly categorized
him as an extremist. His good moral conduct was crucial to the understanding and
cooperation of the audience, as it proved he was a noble man who was more than
worthy of their time. He gained credibility to speak upon the matter by including relevant

background information, stating his position as President of the Southern Christian

Leadership Conference to establish his experience and intelligence in the matter of
protests. Dr. King attempts to bring unity and brotherhood through understanding,
establishing a mutual trust with his audience.
By being an Africa American, he experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations
faced with being a part of an inferior race. His description of the blackswhich
intertwined with his usage of pathosinability to attend public affairs, being witnesses
to inhumane events, and their struggle to move up in society seeped with heart
wrenching pain and utter disgust. His writing and use of large vocabulary reflects his
professional training and level of intelligence. He exerts wisdom and displays growing
knowledge.
Martin Luther King Jr highlights his leadership skills by comparing his thinking
and practices to those of great thinkers and activists such as St. Augustine and John
Bunyan.

Organization
Upon further examination, Martin Luther King Jrs Letter from Birmingham Jail
reveals a consistent pattern in its structure. Each paragraph alternates between
addressing a concern/statement published by the eight white clergymen about how the
protests were demonstrated, and the concerns of Dr. King himself. He attempts to gain
a mutual understanding for the need for urgency to act upon the matter of
desegregation through his nonviolent approach by explaining the hardships and

unequal treatment of his oppressed race, while also warning the audience of what is to
come if nonviolence is not implemented into the demonstrations.

Style
Throughout the letter, Martin Luther King Jr makes frequent allusions. He
compares himself to those of great importanceespecially biblical characters to gain
appreciation and to help emphasize his reason for immediate action that he desperately
strove to get across to his critics. He defends his actions through the accomplishments
of others, whose actions and motivation behind them were similar to his own. Martin
Luther King Junior explained how the Apostle Paul left his homeland to bring order and
spread the word about Jesus Christ, just as he had left his home to help aid the blacks
in Birmingham on their quest for complete freedom. The use of biblical characters was
appropriate for the readers of the letter, as they were leaders of the church. He cleverly
fights the churchs criticisms with their own religion. This strategy was well thought out
to help the clergymen be able to see Martin Luther King Juniors point of view, and
possibly agree with his viewpoint.

Delivery
MLKs style of delivery is passionate with an immense amount of confidence,
creating the impression that he was knowledgeable in the content discussed making it
difficult for anyone to dispute his claims without having a sufficient amount evidence to
back them up. He prepares his arguments in a way that touches base with not only the

eight clergymen, but also to a broader audience: the white population, the AfricanAmerican population, and the religious community.

Memory
The canon of memory does not apply to this rhetorical artifact. The Letter from
Birmingham Jail is in the form of a letter and was not recited to a live audience.

The Effects
Martin Luther King Jr had a clear goal to achieve racial equality in not only
Birmingham but all across the nation, and he carefully developed tactics to help him
reach that goal. After his imprisonment he continued protesting, recruiting younger
protestors and training the youth in nonviolent strategies. Scenes of police dogs
attacking the youth helped to give the protests greater exposure as America witnessed
firsthand the unjust treatment of African Americans in the South. The desperate need to
act quickly instead of waiting could now be better understood.
The issue in Birmingham caught the attention of President Kennedy, resulting in
his commitment to federal civil rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ordered a white
commitment to desegregation and unequal employment opportunities, giving the
government power to withhold funds from school districts that did not enforce
desegregation.
A light was shone on the sufferings of African Americans as he wrote with
determination to clarify their desperation for justice. He worked to help not only the
clergymen who wanted to draw back on the demonstrations understand why the need to

protest and fight for a change was so urgent, but to also address anyone who criticized
his intelligence about how to organize them. Martin Luther King Jr supplemented his
reasoning for pursuing his protests with a number of rhetorical strategies that
undoubtedly lessened his audiences opposing stance on the matter. He maintained a
consistency throughout his writing, and never lost sight of his main goal which was to
bring equality and justice to his people and all those alike. His goal has been attained.