King, Martin Luther. Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Summary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail to members of the Alabama clergy while serving a 1963 prison sentence. The letter was a direct response to members of the religious community who had been critical of the nonviolent direct action campaigns that Dr. King had organized in efforts to bring an end to segregation and other forms of racial injustice in the South. This passionate letter outlines Dr. King’s faith in nonviolence and explains the strategy behind nonviolent direct action and its role in bringing “hidden tensions” to the surface. This is one of the most printed and circulated works of Dr. King and remains a essential part of the nonviolent canon. Content • What are the four basic steps of any nonviolent campaign? • What examples of racial injustice does King provide? • How does Dr. King define a just law vs. an unjust law? • What is a “creative extremist” and what examples does King provide? • In what ways does King challenge the contemporary church and organized religion? • In what ways does King use the story of Socrates to defend the use of nonviolence direct action? Reflection/Analysis • Do you agree with King’s reference to Reinhold Niebuhr when he says, “groups are more immoral than individuals”? • Do you think there are any unjust laws by which you must live? Are there unjust laws in other parts of the country of the world? If so, what makes them unjust? • What does King mean when he says, “time is neutral”? How can people use time constructively as opposed to destructively? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of being a “creative extremist”? • Is there any situation/law/policy in your own life that warrants nonviolent direct action? If so, what is it and what kind of nonviolent strategy would you use? Connections Gandhi, Mohandas. Ahimsa, or the Way of Nonviolence Gandhi, Mohandas. My Faith in Nonviolence. Merton, Thomas. The Root of War is Fear. Ackerman, Peter and Jack Duval. A Force More Powerful. Sharp, Gene. The Methods of Nonviolent Action (Part Two)