MLK’s objectives in writing “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”

One of the assigned readings for our current study of the Civil Rights Movement was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” King wrote this letter in response to a claim by eight Birmingham ministers that segregation was moving too quickly and should be fought through due process of the law instead of on the streets. Their letter was a reaction to the demonstration against segregation led by King, which was the reason he was in jail at the time. Directly quoting their resentment toward “outsiders coming in,” King addresses this assertion by justifying his reason for coming to Birmingham. He writes, “I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.” That statement provides basic justification for bringing his fellow demonstrators to Birmingham, but it serves as a segue for him to delve into the fundamental reason for marching there: to bring attention to the injustice that is occurring in the South. “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He then writes, “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” This serves to address, yet again, the ministers’ accusations that King is an outsider who came to town to stir up controversy.

He makes an unwavering effort to appeal to the consciences and emotions of fellow Christians. “Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.” He goes on to compare movement participants to the early Christians who were similarly persecuted for being “outside agitators.” King continues to lay a guilt-trip on church members by discussing the fact that young people are fed up with the current state of the church, meaning that church membership will dwindle in years to come. This serves as a call-to-action for Christians to stop ignoring their God-given responsibilities and instead join the peaceful fight against injustice in the form of segregation. He adds to his morality argument and reinforces his determination to overcome injustice by calling attention to the overlap of legal & moral obligations. "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws," King said, "but conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." He substantiates his basis for this claim by pointing out that Hitler’s policies in Nazi Germany were “legal,” while it was “illegal” to provide any aid to Jewish people. This comparison is meant to evoke strong emotions typically associated with the injustice, devastation, and inhumanity of the Holocaust, and likewise, bring the public to view the oppressive state of segregation in a similarly unjust light.

In sum, King’s obvious overall objective is to bring an end to segregation, both in the literal sense and in the attitudes and actions of people everywhere. Regarding this letter specifically, his aim is to defend the method of nonviolent protest which he employs, to refute the statements made by the Birmingham clergymen, and to make known to the public the vital need for the Civil Rights movement to intensify its efforts. In writing this letter, his heartfelt, yet firm words serve as a motivation for others to get involved and fight for his just cause.