King

Martin Luther King Jr. is a phenomenon in the history of the United States. He was a civil-rights leader who came to Birmingham to protest for the rights of African American people. King was a fighter; he always had a clear mind as to what he wanted to do. When he was sent to jail in Birmingham, he wrote a letter to the eight clergymen who were responsible for sending him to jail. In his letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, he wrote all the reasons as to why they were protesting and how he wants them to reply to his letter. He explained to the clergymen how colored people were being treated and how they also deserve to have the same rights as white people do. The words he uses to describe the situation of all the colored people were very strong and powerful. King dramatizes himself as a person with a strong mind through his emphasis on himself, a person of feeling and commitment.

King demonstrated in his letter how black people have waited a long time to get their deserved rights and while waiting how they have suffered through the injustice towards them. He doesn’t want to wait any longer, he wants to take action and do something about getting their rights. He writes, “when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters;”(158). The way he uses the “k” sounds when he says “curse, kick and kill” emphasizes the impact on them and makes the one who is reading feel their pain. King uses many more examples to show how the colored people were being treated which also reflects on himself. The way he makes their problems; his problem, shows how he is generous and has a feeling of brotherhood towards his people. He wants what’s best for all of them and doesn’t want them to have to suffer more injustice and cruelty.

A feeling that everyone deserves to have equal rights and the steps taken to get those rights depends on who is the one feeling. A person can feel bad and want to help certain people, but if they never take action then there is no progress towards getting to the finish line (getting their deserved rights). However, King is different from most people. He tries his fullest to grip that flash of determination and try his hardest to get to the finish line. King stresses that he has tried to stand between the two forces of “do-nothingism” and “the hatred and despair” of the black nationalist. He expresses that he is neither on the side of doing nothing nor on the side being unworried about the hate towards blacks or their despair. King’s reply to the feeling of the clergymen having towards protest being violent was that there is “a more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest” (164). This clearly suggests that he has no intention of backing down from the task at hand. No matter how he wants blacks to be free of injustice and discrimination. King is a type of person who is not afraid to act upon his feeling; he is committed to his people and tries not to let them down no matter what.

Martin Luther King Jr. has given his time and effort in ending the injustice towards black nationalists. He feels for each and every one of them and commits to his responsibility towards them. His determination and struggle show in his letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which he wrote for the eight clergymen who put him in jail. King is very persuasive throughout his letter; he never singled out any of the clergymen who were of different religions and beliefs. As he concludes his letter, he calls them “brother”, to show that they were all the same and equal. Ultimately, King was a great leader who always captured everyone’s attention towards what he was saying, talking, or even writing. He had a very good heart which felt others' struggles and a strong mind which made him try his best in helping them get over their problems.