![]() ![]() ![]() Source: “Letter from Birmingham Jail’” The Christian Century: An Ecumenical Weekly, June 12, 1963, 767-773. ![]() As you read the excerpts below, notice King’s focus on the role of the individual in combating racism and the legal segregation that then existed in the South. He called on leaders in the southern church to actively support social reform. King insisted on the need for immediate racial change and the absolute necessity of protest until change occurred. Although initially addressed to eight “liberal” Alabama clergymen, the letter gained a wider audience once published in the June editions of Christian Century magazine and Atlantic Monthly. King defended the actions of the Birmingham protesters, questioned the role of white moderates and southern faith leaders in the civil rights movement, and expounded on the intended consequences of non-violent resistance. In this rare and direct response to his critics, Dr. ![]() began writing what became known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963. While in jail for participating in the Birmingham desegregation campaign, the Reverend Dr. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |