Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail

In April of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. found himself in a small cell in Birmingham Alabama, arrested for his participation in the peaceful protest of discrimination against African-Americans. King firmly believed that non-violent protest, in the form of sit-ins, boycotts, and picketing, would raise awareness of the prejudices African-Americans suffered and, in turn, lead to progress in gaining equal rights between the races. His â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† which he wrote during his incarceration in response to the idea that the battle for civil rights should be fought in court, not via protests, states that â€Å"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.† In other words, injustice in all forms should be addressed and†¦show more content†¦The protest, which aimed to â€Å"restore the radical legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.,† (Parrish) also focused on the shooting deaths of young black men such as Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philan do Castile, and Alton Sterling, among many others. All of these men had been killed during altercations with police officers for nonviolent infractions, such as traffic stops and loitering. From its inception, BLM was met with resistance and criticism from those who believed that the police were acting within their authority and that the racial discrimination was not as bad as BLM portrayed. Despite its peaceful protest methods, opponents angrily and harshly criticized the movement as racist, anti-police, and un-American. The issue came to a head with the recent protest of the National Anthem by NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who began making headlines in 2016 for refusing to stand during the Star-Spangled Banner preceding football games. Kaepernick’s actions, which reflect the spirit of Martin Luther King’s ideology of nonviolent protest, have both inspired similar protests as well as criticism. Yet Kaepernick’s protest remains peaceful and valid, as the injusti ce of racial discrimination prevails in America. Colin Kaepernick’s protest gained national attention due to his position in the NFL. Realizing that his protest would reach a much wider audience than any regular citizen, he chose to demonstrate that something needed to be done about theShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of Martin Luther Kings Letter From A Birmingham Jail1488 Words   |  6 PagesObviously, again my primary motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King’s â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail† is that this is a requirement for my English Composition Class. My heartfelt motivation for writing my Rhetorical Analysis is the respect I have for Martin Luther King’s intelligence and commitment that he displayed for the equality of the African American population. In analyzing â€Å"Letter from a Birmingham Jail†, I developed an even stronger understanding of the dedicationRead MoreAnalysis of Martin Luther Kings â €Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†973 Words   |  4 PagesMartin Luther King Jr, an civil rights activist, fought for the rights of African Americans in 1963. 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