Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham
Everyone knows Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous speeches.
There was the “I Have a Dream” speech delivered in Washington on August 28, 1963, where he told the massive crowd before him that, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
There was his final speech in Memphis on April 3, 1968, delivered the day before he died, seemingly predicting his death. “Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop… And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.”
These were powerful speeches, but there is letter Dr. King wrote that is less familiar, but, in my opinion, deserves more notoriety. I first learned about it in 2004, when my daughter began college and told me about it.
The Letter
The letter. Photo credit: Justin Lane
It is known as The Letter from Birmingham Jail. King wrote it in April 1963 after he was arrested for protesting how African Americans were being treated in Birmingham, Alabama. The letter was a response to eight white clergymen, and moderate whites in general, who thought the civil rights movement was dangerous because it was moving too fast. King wanted to help them understand the black point of view.
From his jail cell, King wrote the first part on the margins of a newspaper. He then wrote bits and pieces on paper he managed to obtain, and gave them piecemeal to his lawyers.
It turned out to be an astonishing essay, primarily because King did not have any reference material with him. From memory, he quoted passages from the Bible, historical figures, important documents… whatever was necessary to get his point across.
For me, more than anything, it was a sign of the superior intellect of the man.
King Jr.’s Sources and Inspirations
Referring to Socrates, he wrote that the ancient philosopher, “felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths … must we … create the kind of tension in society that helps men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism.”
He cited Christian theologian Thomas Aquinas’ claim that any law not rooted in "eternal law and natural law" is not just, while any law that "uplifts human personality" is just.
He urged people to obey the Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, and asked the question he knew many people across the country were asking: “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?”
His response was that one has a moral responsibility to obey just laws, and a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. To support his position, he cited St. Augustine, who said “an unjust law is no law at all.”
He referenced John Bunyan, who was imprisoned for his beliefs and said: “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.”
Abraham Lincoln for abolishing slavery: “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.”
Thomas Jefferson: “All me are created equal.”
And his namesake, Martin Luther, who stood up to the Catholic Church: “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, so help me God.”
He quoted from the Bible.
Jesus: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you…”
Amos: ”Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.”
St.Paul: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”
He also cited the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego for refusing to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, and the early Christians, for willing to peacefully be fed to the lions rather than submit to tyranny.
And he celebrated, by name, “our white brothers” who understood what he was trying to achieve: Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Anne Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle. He praised Reverend Stalling “for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis.”
Finally, he quoted T.S. Eliot: “The last temptation is the greatest treason. To do the right deed for the wrong reason.”
A Masterful Achievement
It was a masterful performance. All done from memory, in a calm, dignified manner. There were no crowds to get his adrenaline flowing. It was a simple message he wanted to convey – which he did.
I, for one, remain thoroughly impressed.