Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.

How does King defend his being in Birmingham when he is considered an "outsider" by his critics?

• He believes that what happens in Birmingham will affect people outside Birmingham, too.
• He has ties with the organizations in Birmingham that invited him there.
• He goes wherever there is injustice to fight.
• He states that any resident of the United States is not an outsider within its borders.
• All of the these answers are correct

How does King differentiate between a just and an unjust law?

• A just law is created by or voted on by the people who will be affected by it.
• A just law conveys a sense of superiority to a group.
• A just law is binding to all people, not just the minority.

King writes that "One who breaks an unjust law must do it openly, lovingly." What does he mean by the word lovingly?

• in a gentle, tender way
• in a painstakingly careful way
• with respect for others and passion for a cause
• in a way that openly shows affection for someone
• with strictness, which may seem cruel but actually shows love

According to King, what action shows "the highest respect for law"?

• obeying all laws but arguing to change those that are unjust
• creating laws that uphold the dignity of all people
• breaking an unjust law and accepting the penalty in order to bring about change
• obeying only the laws with which you agree
• breaking an unjust law and refusing to accept the penalty

King suggests that it may seem paradoxical for his followers "consciously to break laws." What does paradoxical mean?

• unwise
• radical in concept
• defiantly bold
• self-serving
• seemingly contradictory

In the article about King's arrest, what did Commissioner Connor claim was King's reason for demonstrating?

• to encourage shoppers to boycott white stores at Easter
• to protest the law that requires having a parade
• to get arrested
• to campaign for an elected office on the city council
• to commemorate the violence that had taken place there ten days earlier

In King's letter, why does he allude to Paul of Tarsus?

• to compare himself to a figure from the Bible
• to remind those who will read the letter of how to be a good Christian
• to make the point that Jesus would support his cause
• to give an example of someone else who traveled far to help people in need
• to compare the whites of Birmingham to Roman oppressors

Analyze how King develops or responds to the arguments against his actions in "Letter from Birmingham Jail." In particular, examine how he structures his counterargument.

• He addresses opposing arguments directly and uses logical reasoning and evidence to refute them.

• He ignores the ignorant opposing arguments and focuses only on his own wise perspective.

• He agrees with all the arguments against his actions in Birmingham without providing a counterpoint.

• He responds emotionally lashing out at his critics without providing evidence or structure.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was inspired by Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, who advocated civil disobedience as a way to accomplish social and political change. Which of the following is a belief shared by both King's letter and Thoreau's essay Civil Disobedience?

• Civil disobedience is a legitimate way to achieve social and political change.

• Violence is necessary and effective to bring about any government reform.

• Government should always be obeyed without question.

• Economic prosperity is more important than civilian justice.

Which scenario is most consistent with the concept of civil disobedience?

• On August 11, 1965, race riots broke out in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California
• Stokely Carmichael of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee advocated black power
• In February 1960, African American students staged a sit-in at a Woolworth's store in Greensboro, NC
• Malcolm X declared that racial separation was a "positive good" with many benefits for African Americans