King began the letter by responding to the criticism that he and his fellow activists were "outsiders" causing trouble in the streets of Birmingham. He also criticizes the claim that African Americans should wait patiently while these battles are fought in the courts. King's letter, dated April 16, 1963, responded to several criticisms made by the " A Call for Unity" clergymen, who agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not the streets. King writes in Why We Can't Wait: "Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Black trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me." Walter Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers, arranged $160,000 to bail out King and the other jailed protestors. The letter provoked King, and he began to write a response to the newspaper itself. An ally smuggled in a newspaper from April 12, which contained " A Call for Unity", a statement by eight white Alabama clergymen against King and his methods. King was met with unusually harsh conditions in the Birmingham jail. On April 12, King was arrested with SCLC activist Ralph Abernathy, ACMHR and SCLC official Fred Shuttlesworth, and other marchers, while thousands of African Americans dressed for Good Friday looked on. Leaders of the campaign announced they would disobey the ruling. issued a blanket injunction against "parading, demonstrating, boycotting, trespassing and picketing". The nonviolent campaign was coordinated by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The Birmingham campaign began on April 3, 1963, with coordinated marches and sit-ins against racism and racial segregation in Birmingham. "Project C" is also referred to as the Birmingham campaign. King, passionate for this change, created " Project C", meaning confrontation, to do just that. These leaders in Birmingham were legally not required to leave their office until 1965, meaning that something else had to be done to generate change. Not only was the President slow to act, but Birmingham officials were refusing to leave their office, preventing a younger generation of officials with more modern beliefs to be elected. President Kennedy seemed to be in support of desegregation, however, was slow to take action. Kennedy on October 16, 1961, to address the concerns of discrimination in the south and the lack of action the government is taking. Their desire to be active in fighting against racism is what made King certain that this is where he should begin his work. The citizens of Birmingham's efforts in desegregation caught King's attention, especially with their previous attempts resulting in failure or broken promises. The SCC, a white civic organization, had agreed during this meeting to remove all "Whites Only" signs from downtown department stores, however failed to carry this promise through. The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) had met with the Senior Citizens Committee (SCC) following this protest in hopes to find a way to prevent larger forms of retaliation against segregation. For example, students at Miles College boycotted local downtown stores for eight weeks, which resulted in a decrease in sales by 40% and two stores desegregating their water fountains. Background īirmingham, Alabama, was known for its intense segregation and attempts to combat said racism during this time period. The letter has been described as "one of the most important historical documents penned by a modern political prisoner", and is considered a classic document of civil disobedience. The letter, written in response to " A Call for Unity" during the 1963 Birmingham campaign, was widely published, and became an important text for the civil rights movement in the United States. Responding to being referred to as an "outsider", King writes: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." It says that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take direct action rather than waiting potentially forever for justice to come through the courts. The " Letter from Birmingham Jail", also known as the " Letter from Birmingham City Jail" and " The Negro Is Your Brother", is an open letter written on April 16, 1963, by Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s cell in Birmingham Jail at the National Civil Rights Museum Open letter written by Martin Luther King, Jr
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