Flores-Vasquez 1

Jennifer Flores-Vasquez
English 1A/ 32475
Professor Adler
February 17, 2015
Letter from a Birmingham Jail Summary
In the letter of Letter from a Birmingham Jail, King was writing this letter from a solitary
confinement cell in Birmingham, Alabama expressing his thoughts through this letter because he
was trying to stop the racism against the Negroes. He was trying to create a change for racism in
our country, and help everyone get along with each other. People finally had an opportunity to
speak to Birmingham economic community in regards to negotiating certain rules and removing
racial signs that every merchant store had posted up. As they negotiated with the economic
community not all merchant owners obey their request until they realized that they have been
victims of broken promises. All the experiences that people went through with racial names and
humiliation was settled upon themselves. They decided to take matters in their own hands by
involving themselves in self-purification, they began to do workshops on nonviolence and
accepting blows without people retaliating against them or begin a conflict with Birmingham
minister. King was trying to get across racism that was happening in summer of 1963, by
participating in a peaceful anti-segregation marching on grounds that he did not have a permit to
have a parade. He was criticize in nine ways because it was not his place as an outsider to
interfere with the City of Birmingham, he then gave three reasons why it was appropriate for him
to be active in working for civil rights in Birmingham even though he hadnt claim full residence

Flores-Vasquez 2
within that city. King was then the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
because the national organization of Alabama invited him. He pointed out how injustice
anywhere was a threat to justice everywhere because Negroes couldnt get a fair trial or
conversation. King couldnt get his point across through public demonstration because he had
encounter that the white power structure that Birmingham left no other alternative for them to
come together and solve the issue, instead they liked retaliation among each other. Violence was
continued through racism he wanted to stop it by organizing his actions in a responsible way
which were negotiating with both politicians and business leaders, and by dramatizing racism to
make sure that their community wont out large themselves with force to confront the issue to
establish a ground break with all the violence that was occurring. All that the Negro community
was hoping for was to have freedom and non-violent situations, wanted to stop suffering from
racist attitudes and to have fair policies. For example, King confronting society with demands
for social justice, no matter how peaceful the method, is provoking violence to occur. He left
disappointment due to hypocrisy and cowardice because he realized that Americans were not
going to stand up for Negros with quite explicitly due to their race and color. Many people were
beaten down by the poverty and racism that was occurring in 1963 he wanted for his people to
stand up for themselves, fight for whats right and wrong. King wanted for the middle class
Negroes to support them on their decisions and help the low poverty fight against all extremists.
King was upset that the clergymen did not see fit to also commend the brave black people who
had fought injustice nonviolently, and he was hoping that clergymen later realize what was really
happening. Finally, he apologizes for his length of potential overstatement of his letter but, hopes
that someday they would understand what was his main focus and forces that lead for him to

such certainty. He signs his letter, Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood. All he wanted
was for a good civil rights leader with great intensions and treat everyone fairly.