Mahelona, Ryan: Diversity

During the civil rights movement, the Black and White communities had many violent confrontations. Within this sea of violence, a nonviolent protestor named Martin Luther King, Jr. is the most well remembered figure of the times. After reading and comparing the letter presented to Dr. King and his response it is apparent that both letters carried strong emotions and addressed serious issues. The clergy who wrote the letter “A Call for Unity” were very clever and careful when putting together their words.

                  

 These men of the cloth wrote a short, to-the-point letter asking that Dr. King to not condone the resistance that the Black community was engaged in, no matter how nonviolent it was. The letter, when read the first time, seemed very respectable with little mention of racism. The letter asks him to take proper steps to appeal the things he thinks to be wrong and even applauds the police for being so calm and collected. The thing that stood out most to me was that they asked the “Negro” community to take action through courts and state representatives when they were not allowed to vote! Reading this now, it seems very belittling and racist but for the day it was written it seemed very calm and even a bit friendly.

                  

After receiving the letter, it is apparent in his writings that Dr. King felt much disrespected. I like the strong use of biblical comparison and quoting. I also really liked how he addressed them in a similar respectful fashion but also was not hesitant to deliver punches. He tells the clergy that his nonviolent protest methods are nowhere near as radical as their words suggest. I can assume that writing those words during that era was something that was considered very disrespectful and abnormal. My favorite line from his letter was near the end. “If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.”