Letter From a Birmingham Jail Make-Up

What was the main argument of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail'?

• Nonviolent protest was immediately needed and the most effective option against segregation.

• Segregation should be countered through the courts.

• Violent protests were necessary to achieve social change.

• Segregation laws should be obeyed until changed legally.

Which historical figures inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s theory of nonviolent protest?

• Mohandas Gandhi and Henry David Thoreau

• John Locke and Thomas Aquinas

• Earl Warren and St. Augustine

• Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln

What was the response of the clergymen to Dr. King's actions, as mentioned in the passage?

• They denounced King's actions and suggested segregation be countered through the courts.

• They supported King's nonviolent protests.

• They remained neutral and did not comment.

• They encouraged violent protests to end segregation.

According to Dr. King, why is nonviolent direct action necessary?

• To create tension that forces negotiation on issues of segregation.

• To immediately change laws through the courts.

• To avoid any form of tension or crisis.

• To comply with unjust laws until they are changed.

What legal argument did Dr. King use to justify disobeying segregation laws?

• An unjust law does not have to be obeyed as it treats one group differently than another.

• All laws must be obeyed until legally changed.

• Segregation laws were supported by the U.S. Constitution.

• The courts would eventually change unjust laws.

According to King, how is “constructive, nonviolent tension” necessary for growth?

Why did he choose this time to act?

What are the ways that an oppressed group can demand freedom? How did King advocate for his followers to protest?