Letter from Birmingham Jail by MLK

1. Based on paragraph 1, what can be inferred about King’s attitude towards his critics?

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than

such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

MAKE AN INFERENCE…

• 1. He generally disregards all criticism, believing his work speaks for itself.

• 1. He feels criticism is unimportant and a waste of time.

• 1. He appreciates sincere criticism but prioritizes constructive action over responding.

• 1. He views his critics as adversaries who need to be silenced.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Which of the following best supports how King establishes credibility and authority to speak about the situation in Birmingham in paragraph 1?

• 1. He emphasizes his role as President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, demonstrating his leadership experience and organizational affiliation.

• 1. He compares himself to historical figures like prophets and the Apostle Paul, suggesting a shared calling to fight for justice.

• 1. He acknowledges the existence of criticism but frames his response as a patient and reasonable explanation, implying intellectual superiority.

• 1. He references his presence in Birmingham at the invitation of the local Christian Movement for Human Rights, highlighting his connection to the community.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

King compares unjust laws to “an ‘I it’ relationship” and describes them as “sinful.” What can be inferred about his primary motivation for disobeying such laws?

…An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I it" relationship for an "I thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful.

MAKE AN INFERENCE…

• 1. He prioritizes upholding the Constitution and ensuring legal equality for all citizens.

• 1. He is primarily concerned with challenging the power dynamics and dismantling unjust systems.

• 1. His main goal is to inspire moral reflection and awaken a sense of personal responsibility in society.

• 1. He seeks to achieve social and political change through nonviolent action, even if it requires breaking the law.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

King argues for the distinction between just and unjust laws.  Based on his reasoning, which of the following best captures the central idea of chunk 2?

• 1. All laws passed by democratically elected governments are inherently just.

• 1. Obeying just laws is a legal responsibility, while disobeying unjust laws is a moral one.

• 1. Segregation laws are morally wrong because they create unequal treatment and undermine human dignity.

• 1. Laws that infringe on fundamental rights like peaceful assembly are always unjust, regardless of their purpose.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

King references historical figures like Jesus, Socrates, and Abraham Lincoln. Based on his choice of figures and the context of the paragraph, what can be inferred about his underlying message regarding nonviolent resistance?

…Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice?

MAKE AN INFERENCE

• 1. True progress often requires challenging societal norms and facing potential opposition.

• 1. Nonviolent resistance is superior to traditional forms of rebellion or protest.

• 1. Only individuals with extreme morality can effectively lead movements for social change.

• 1. Engaging in nonviolent resistance guarantees positive outcomes and avoids any possibility of harm.

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

How does King introduce his purpose for writing "Letter from Birmingham Jail?”(R.2.3)

• 1. to fulfill an organizational obligation to the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights.

• 1.  to challenge segregation laws as morally unjust.

• 1. to respond to the call for social justice from the African American community.

• 1. to demonstrate his commitment to nonviolent direct action.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6

This question has two parts.  First answer PART A, then PART B. 

PART A:  Select two ways in which King develops the central idea of recognizing unjust laws? (R.2.2)

• 1. His claim of segregation being a sin. 

• 1. His claim of unjust laws going against moral code. 

• 1. His claim on the impact an unjust law has on an individual.

• 1. His explanation on how segregation impacts a human being

• 1. His explanation of Supreme Court decisions supporting unjust laws.

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CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Part B: Which two phrases from the text best support the answer to Part A? (R.2.2)

• 1. His claim of segregation being a sin. 

• 1. His claim of unjust laws going against moral code. 

• 1. His claim on the impact an unjust law has on an individual. 

• 1. His explanation on how segregation impacts a human being

• 1. His explanation of Supreme Court decisions supporting unjust laws.

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

How does the rhetorical choice of King positioning himself as an “outsider” invited to Birmingham impact his purpose? (R.2.3)

• 1. Undermines his credibility and connection to the local community.

• 1. Emphasizes his neutrality and objectivity in the situation.

• 1. Demonstrates his commitment to supporting local movements

• 1. Adds weight to his claim that injustice transcends geographic boundaries.

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CCSS.RI.11-12.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

Select two reasons why King uses rhetorical questions in paragraphs 5 and 11? (R.3.4)

• 1. To lead into his reasoning and rationale which provides information that supports the difference between just and unjust laws.

• 1. To emphasize what the clergymen should consider when deciding upon what laws should be upheld. 

• 1. To express the thoughts and questions that are already felt by people who are currently suffering from unjust laws.

• 1. To highlight the lack of logic within the statements made by clergymen regarding peaceful protests against unjust laws. 

• 1. To stress the thoughts of those who make laws and the bias that might be represented when not considering all Americans.