April 16th, 1963: "A Letter from Birmingham" is released

DHS US History II

Martin Luther King held a peaceful, nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. It is commonly referred to as the Birmingham movement. Because of King’s harmonious approach to the issue, he gained supporters for it quickly, and, although peaceful, his protests posed a high risk for its volunteers. Previous to the Birmingham movement, hundreds were arrested for participating in stand-ins. A temporary anti-protest injunction was passed by the Supreme Court on April 10th, 1963, at regard of officials of Birmingham’s request. It required petitioners to acquire a permit in order to hold mass events on the streets. Most people felt as if the injunction attacked their basic rights. It was discriminatory and it restricted freedom of speech without reason. The law was unjust and unconstitutional. The majority of protesters intended to violate the law and hold parades without permits. Despite the danger of leading a protest, King felt that it was necessary to take a faithful leap. He led one thousand african american people into the business district of the city. On April 12th, 1963, King was arrested for violating Alabama’s law forbidding public parades. He remained in The Birmingham City Jail for eleven days. Following his release on bail, a letter from a birmingham jail was written and released on April 16th, 1963. King outlined the injustices in the city and the extreme actions taken following the nonviolent campaign. He defended his nonviolent campaign to resist racism for everybody. It was published in various articles such as The American Friends Service Committee and Christianity and Crisis, as well as fifty thousand copies printed as pamphlets. The city charged him for being impatient, and he responded by claiming that when they felt the sense of ‘nobodiness’ that he felt, they would understand why he could not wait. He also called the laws unjust and unconstitutional, and claimed that human progress happens over time with hard work and sacrifice. He compared himself to other great extremists, such as Jesus and Abraham Lincoln. King’s letter led many down a path of revolution. Just over a week after King’s arrest and release on bail, one thousand more african american students attempted to march into downtown Birmingham. Hundreds were arrested on site, and hundreds more gathered the following day. Police officers beat protesters violently with clubs and hoses. Violence created an uproar when four young girls died in a bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church. These images appeared on the news, triggering international outrage. King responded by instilling courage into volunteers and their families. He said that participants were not just achieving a job for themselves and America, but for all of mankind. His letter helped reignite the Birmingham movement and campaign. It helped African American citizens gain the recognition and attention that they needed, while acting as a source of courage in the face of brutality. Overall, MLK’s ‘Letter From a Birmingham Jail’ was extremely influential in the progression of African American’s in a racially unjust society.