“Letter From Birmingham Jail”
- Genre: Nonfiction; letter
- Originally Published: 1963
- Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
- Central Concern: Civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. writes an open letter from Birmingham Jail, defending the right to engage in nonviolent protests opposing segregation.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Racism; segregation; social justice issues
Martin Luther King, Jr., Author
- Bio: Born in 1929 in Atlanta, GA; died by assassination in 1968 in Memphis, TN; civil rights activist and Baptist minister; graduated from Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University; organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington
- Other Works: Stride Toward Freedom (1958); “I Have a Dream” speech (1963)
- Awards: Nobel Peace Prize (1964); Time Magazine’s Man of the Year award (1963)
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:
- The Interrelatedness of All Humanity
- Politics and the Church
- Nonviolent Direct Action Versus Violence
STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:
- Develop an understanding of the social and historical contexts regarding segregation that motivate King’s nonviolent approach in the civil rights movement.
- Use research and critical thinking skills in completing structured activities to make connections via the text’s themes of Nonviolent Direct Action Versus Violence and Politics and the Church.
- Create and develop a unique written response that demonstrates an understanding of the use of rhetorical devices in persuasive appeals.