Stone, James: Diversity

After reading the letters “A Call to Unity” and “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” I experienced a wide range of emotions. The huge difference in perceptions between the two groups of people was both amazing and saddening. The fact that two sets of people, so close together geographically, could be worlds apart mentally, is scary to say the least. Personally, I found it quite unfortunate and insensitive for the White citizens in the Birmingham community to expect the African-American citizens act a certain way. In fact, in the letter titled “A Call to Unity” the White citizens wanted the Black citizens to know that “a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in the streets.”

The Civil Rights movement was a key part of United States history and helped to shape our nation into what it is today. It proved that African Americans were the same as Caucasians and deserved the same rights. I have always believed that all peoples were created equal. So, to see the oppression and hatred that was exhibited during that time was a huge shock to me. It is one thing to read about this kind of violation against human rights, but it is another matter entirely to see it on video, or hear it in the voice of someone who has lived it. 

The truly sad thing about the situation was that even when the White people of Birmingham wanted to talk, they thought that the protest methods of the African-American population were too radical. Actually, I thought that the African-American community had shown restraint! They had performed sit-ins, protests, and boycotted businesses that didn’t respect their rights. I believe that I wouldn’t have shown as much control over myself as most of them showed. As for the ones who did get into physical conflicts, it is very understandable. To be put down again and again when trying to express their feelings in a peaceful way would be one of the most helpless feelings in the world.

Overall, Martin Luther King Jr.’s response in the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” was quite interesting. It is amazing to see how there were two completely different groups of African Americans and how Martin Luther King Jr. had to find a common path for all to reach a common goal. Between the complacent and the wrathful, it must have been a struggle for him. I admire his ability to remain calm and levelheaded in the midst of that struggle. 

Clearly, the fight for civil rights was a difficult era in the history of the United States. I take the stance that all men and women are created equal. Martin Luther King Jr. and the rest of the African-American community fought for what they believed in, and I agree with them completely. At least now, the United States is a country where the dream of equality is a reality.