Martin Luther King, Jr: Letter From a Birmingham Jail
If You’ve Never Read This; You’re Missing Out
Though Martin Luther King Jr is lauded today for his non-violent pursuit of justice and equality, he was opposed by most white people, including some who selectively quote him today. A group of eight white ministers published a “Call For Unity,” decrying King and his methods. King received a copy while in jail. With time on his hands, he decided to reply, writing on the borders of newspapers and other scraps of paper before being allowed to use a writing pad. The New York Times asked him to respond to the white preachers but later refused to publish it:
“Letter From a Birmingham Jail
16 April 1963
My Dear Fellow Clergymen:
While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities “unwise and untimely.” Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.
