Letter from Birmingham Jail Analysis Questions
1. What are King’s reasons for being in Birmingham?
-> He was invited because he has organizational ties to Birmingham, and
to stop injustice
2. How does he answer the charge of being an outsider?
->Anyone who lives in the United States cannot be considered and
outsider
3. What does the following quote mean for Birmingham citizens? What does it
mean for each of us today? “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of
destiny.”
->It would mean to Birmingham citizens that everyone is in the same
boat and that their oppressors will get what’s coming to them. Today
it could apply to 911 and terrorism and meaning that we need to stop
it so that we do not get destroyed
4. What are the four basic steps of nonviolent direct action?
1. Collecting evidence of injustice
2. Negotiation
3. Self-Purification
4. Direct Action
5. Why did King and others decide to delay their actions?’
-> The moratorium broken promise, and the process of selfpurification and nonviolent actions
6. What does King mean by “constructive nonviolent tension” and now does he
define its goal?
-> He means a tension between two parties for the greater good that is
to serve a purpose that is necessary for growth and change. Its
purpose is to create a situation where negotiation is necessary.
7. Choose an example from U.S. History which represents the “painful experience
that freedom is voluntarily given by the oppressor.”
-> The Revolutionary War. The colonies in the US had to fight for
their freedom and demand it from their oppressors, England.
8. Choose another example from history which illustrates his point that”justice too
long delayed is justice denied.”
->Slavery. The slaves were waiting forever basically while the
government sat around and did nothing to help them for a hundred
years or so even when it was accepted as wrong in the north
9. Choose from King’s list of injustices and compare three of them to the Bill of
Rights or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
->
10. How does King define the two types of law; just and unjust?
11. Give an example of present day law you might feel a moral obligation to disobey.
12. Must we obey laws we do not participate in creating? Why or why not?
13. Why does King think breaking an unjust law “lovingly” would be an expression
of respect for the law?
14. What does King warn will happen if the Negro community is not allowed to
demonstrate through nonviolent actions? Is this a threat?
15. Why does King welcome the label extremist?
Create a new page on your Wiki site entitled MLK. . Choose a favorite quote form the
“Letter” and connect this to your life or issues in your community today. Choose one
quotation from the letter for each of the following themes: Justice, Transformation and
Reconciliation. Choose a photo to compliment each of the quotations either from the
Birmingham study or of a current issue in our community or world today. Be creativeLet the powerful visual images you choose communicate the power of your message.
Option: You may create a poster size visual following the same instructions if you
prefer using materials other than the computer.