Anyone who hears the name “Martin Luther King Jr.” automatically thinks about how much of an American hero and martyr, as well as an advocate for social justice and equality he truly was. Through countless demonstrations and peaceful protests, King led a movement unlike any this nation had ever seen before. After reading and analyzing King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” and a response from white ministers “A Call for Unity,” I was allowed insight into King’s true thoughts and feelings, and the obstacles he had to overcome to fight for justice in America.
Although “A Call for Unity” was an important document expressing the “white point of view,” I was fascinated by King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” Within the letter, I discovered many profound thoughts and ideas that truly made me step back and examine our society. Many phrases contained in the letter prompted me to reflect upon where we’ve been, where we are, and in what direction we are going in the future in America.
The first phrase that really caught my attention read “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” To me, this phrase can be applied to almost any situation where one tries to justify his cruel actions by saying “Everyone is doing it.” There is definitely strength in numbers. If an injustice is accepted in one area, others in different areas will be more likely to commit the same act (such as racial discrimination, in King’s case) because they believe it is widely acceptable to do so. Justice can be threatened nation-wide, or even universally, if it is undermined in one place.
Another prominent idea I noticed in the letter involved the word “Wait!” King mentioned that for years, African Americans were told to “wait” for things to change. It seemed, however, that “wait” almost always meant “never.” They say good things come to those who wait, but it must have been unrealistic and discouraging to those who were constantly asked to wait on something that should have been available the entire time.
A final idea that caught my attention was “An unjust law is no law at all.” This idea, which originally was coined by St. Augustine, is deeply discussed in the letter as King explains the difference between just and unjust laws. Like St. Thomas Aquinas said, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” Restrictions that were placed on African Americans during King’s time were most certainly degrading and unjust, so it was absolutely appropriate to bring up this idea.
Although only three ideas were discussed, King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” contained many great concepts and profound thoughts that brought to surface exactly what injustices African Americans were forced to face. Reading this letter, as well as “A Call For Unity”, provided me with much insight into the thoughts of many very important leaders during the time of racial oppression in America.
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