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Essay / Message from Martin Luther King in the Letter from Birmingham Jail
George Stinney, the Scottsboro boys, James Hanover Thompson and David Simpson; These are just the names of a few little black boys ages 6 to preteens who have been imprisoned and even murdered because of the color of their skin. Black communities were treated as criminals and inferior to humans by white discrimination. Black children were excluded from students who had white children, excluded from food markets, excluded from restaurants; the black community faces inequalities every day. Tired of being treated as if they were not human, the black community created the civil rights movement when white racists did not appreciate their protest. In the "Letter from Birmingham Jail," author Martin Luther King Jr. responds to his critics by asserting that he will not back down on his protests because it is simply about breaking laws when those laws are unjust . To support his position, he uses the recurring themes of racism and justice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Martin Luther King Jr. responds to his critic's concerns that he was only going to Birmingham to stir up trouble while fulfilling a promise to a local affiliate of his organization; who was to go to Birmingham and engage in a program of non-violent direct action if necessary. However, even though his presence was based on a promise, he also gives a moral reason for his visit. Dr. King calls out his critics' ignorance of the racism and discrimination behind their protest, saying he is obligated to fight injustice wherever it occurs. Its moral justification is therefore to fight against the injustice practiced in Birmingham. He adopts a rational tone to refute the image of protesters as lawbreakers. King goes on to emphasize the justification for protests as being necessary to combat injustice and racism, thereby turning the critics' words on their head; his critics claim to express concern about Dr. King's behavior, but they so openly agree with the systematic racism taking hold in Birmingham. Addressing what the black community faced in Birmingham's community segregation, he highlights the effect it can have on his community, calling it "humiliating." He believes that this effect has a psychological impact on black individuals, because white business owners add a “no blacks” sign only to remove it and then put it back up. Therefore, the psychological effect of discrimination justifies direct action. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Dr. King Clarifies Purpose of His Protests; which was intended to create a situation that would make the whites uncomfortable, because only then would they be ready to enter into negotiations. And in this case, with his detractors shouting down his protests, it seems to be working..