MLK Letter

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" for the other clergymen of the Black Christian Church, who considered his presence and actions in Birmingham to be hasty to say the least. King's retort to their admonition is that the time for action is today. Having lived through persecution for over 300 years, the black community is restless and hungry for change. As King states, "justice too long delayed is justice denied".

Oddly enough, King is more frustrated with white moderates than white aggressors because of their tepid disposition toward the plights of their black brethren. If there is one thing that King doesn't like, it's lukewarm concern for important issues. For example, while the KKK is starting riots and destroying property, regular white people are sitting at home going about their daily business, and the black community seem to be the only ones standing up for themselves.

MLK also does a good job of identifying social classes within the black community. From the nonchalant to the extremists, everyone has their own way of dealing with (or not) the social problems ingrained within the fabrics of American society. When confronted with the question of how he can support some laws and oppose others, King brings up the idea of just and unjust laws, a theme he continues to bring up throughout his letter. If man-made law corresponds to the will of God, then it is a just law. If, however, the law is constructed solely to provide social privileges to a certain part of society, then the law is unjust.