Cobb, Lacey: Diversity

In the mid-1900s, the many of the Southern states experienced segregation between the White and Black races. The towns were segregated and most public places were too, including schools and restaurants. Black people, often referred to as "Negroes," weren't allowed the right to vote or to take part of any political campaign. The Blacks then began to fight for their rights, which caused many problems between them and the White people. As a result, eight clergymen wrote a letter, A Call For Unity, expressing their ideas as to why these Black people should not march up and down the streets, but instead settle their problems in the court. However, Martin Luther King Jr. strongly disagreed with their ideas as he explained in his Letter From A Birmingham Jail.
   

A Call For Unity, written by eight clergymen, was a letter that addressed the need for African Americans to end their public demonstrations and engage in local negotiations. The clergymen strongly urged Blacks to go to the courts to deal with their rights that were being denied. What sparked King's response, however, was not that these men had written this letter, but the fact that they referred to the demonstrations as unwise and untimely, directed by and led by outsider agitators.
   

While sitting in his jail cell, King replied to these men about their letter. Though he seldom replied to criticism, he thought that the clergymen were very genuine and sincere. While they thought that his actions were very unwise and untimely, King felt quite the opposite about them. The only way to solve that the problems Blacks were facing was to have direct action. He explained that although it may have seemed as though Blacks were being impatient with their hopes slow in being realized, if the same thing were to happen to White people they would want to take direct action too. He also points out that while the clergymen referred to him as an outsider, the truth was, in fact, that anyone living in the United States cannot be considered an outsider.
   
Like King, I too believe that his actions were all but unwise and untimely. When it comes to the unjust, someone has to take a stand and fight for what is right. King did just that, and if he had waited any longer, nothing would have happened to improve the situation affecting every Black person. Segregation is unjust; God created every man equal and therefore those black people had then right to fight for their equality.
  
Segregation was a big problem back in the mid-1900's and is still a problem today, although it is not nearly as bad. When reflecting on these two letters, it is obvious how simple-minded the clergymen are about the situation between the Whites and the Blacks. They see it from only their perspective and not once think about what it would be like if they were African Americans; only if they saw it from the eyes of Black people would they then realize just how wise and timely King's actions were.