King Analysis

Nathan Galloway
A Letter From Birmingham Jail
The Letter From Birmingham Jaillays out Dr. King’s thought process behind direct action in the form of protest in Birmingham, Alabama. His letter responds to the criticism of his protests by white religious leaders in the south. What makes this letter so powerful and keeps it relevant today is the interconnectedness Dr. King argues for throughout the letter. Instead of using possible divisive rhetoric, he looks to the similarities between these religious leaders and himself. In his introduction, he reminds his audience, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” This quote is strikingly similar to many teachings in the Bible that call for a pursuit of justice and peace and that all God’s children are equal. These southern pastors would have seen this correlation and would have certainly noticed King’s mention of St. Augustine’s assertion that “‘An unjust law is no law at all.’” By focusing on similarities in religion between his audience and himself, he is able to create a mutual understanding between himself and everyone reading the letter (including many other southern Christians). In that space of mutual understanding, he is able to then argue his points about timing and reason without alienating their ideals and without being seen as radical. 
This reading connects deeply to classes here at Loyola and Baltimore. As a Jesuit Catholic school in a city with a history of segregation and inequality, this letter applies directly to us. As Christians, we have a responsibility to be our brother’s and sister’s keepers. Not only our brothers and sisters who look and live like us, but all of our brothers and sisters in the Baltimore community. 

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