Letter From Birmingham Jail

To whom is the Letter from Birmingham Jail addressed?

• ministers who criticized King's efforts
• whites who arrested King for no reason
• his coworkers in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
• his wife and his lawyer

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Why was King in Birmingham?

• he was invited to help fight the segregation there

• he lived there

• he gave a speech there but drove over the speed limit on his way out of town

• he picked Birmingham as the next place to hold a non-violent protest

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Why use non-violent direct action?

• to force people who refuse to negotiate to confront the issue
• because they can't afford weapons
• it's easier than trying to negotiate
• to avoid speaking to the people who are causing the problem

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

According to King, history shows that...

• people don't like to give up their power.
• people easily listen to others and change their behavior.
• social change happens quickly, not over time.
• equality can never happen.

King challenges other ministers to see the struggle for equality as...

• a moral concern.

• a political concern.

• a personal concern.

• not their concern.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

King believes that resentment and frustration over racism should be channeled into...

• non-violent direct action.
• violent protest.
• religious belief.
• political discussions.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Why does Dr. King say that he is answering the clergymen?

• They have acted in an unwise way.

• King uses letter-writing to bring about change.

• Their letter shows them to be extremists.

• He believes them to be sincere and good.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

What counterargument does Dr. King present to the advice to wait?

• Democratically elected officials would not require African Americans to wait.

• Socrates would not have waited under the same circumstances.

• African Americans already have waited for more than 340 years.

• The 1954 Supreme Court decision has made it impossible to wait.

Which statement is a position of Dr. King's opponents?

• Racial injustice in Birmingham must be stopped at all costs.

• The Boston Tea Party was an act of civil disobedience.

• Dr. King's peaceful actions are wrong because violence results from them.

• Demonstrations are necessary to break down segregation.

What is the basis for King’s argument against the idea that he is an outsider who came to Birmingham?

• He was born in Birmingham.

• He has many relatives in Birmingham.

• He has organizational ties in Birmingham.

• He went to college in Birmingham/