A Call for Unity and A Letter from Birmingham Jail present completely opposing views on segregation not only in Birmingham but through the South as a whole. These works, written by completely different people but for the same audience show the view of White men, and the reasons why their views were off point and exaggerated.
A Call for Unity was written by eight White clergymen. Their main plea: for Black people to silence their call for equality in consideration of a more easily achieved peace between the races. A Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by none other than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who stated that the peace this nation truly needed was not one in which the African Americans basically bowed down and dealt with the racism but one in which the brothers and sisters of this nation, Black and White, worked together to achieve a more solid and equal peace among each other.
Several things can be gained from at both two works. Of course, the reader is presented with the truths of the segregated South, from the Colored Only and White Only signs to the unfair treatment of African Americans in the jail system, Dr. King exposes the reader to the true brutality of all that happened even in the end stages of segregation. Though many of the powerful whites in society thought it would be easier to ignore the problem, after reading Dr. Kings letter, I'm sure several of the clergymen saw the error in their ways.
Overall, the general effect these works had on me, was to show the error in the racist ways of our country. These problems still exist today, mostly within the church. Ever noticed that there still are Black churches and White churches? Not to mention the disapproving looks all interracial couples receive from the older generation of Blacks and Whites. Perhaps my reflection of this is issue would be positive, had it caused more of a change. But, until Blacks and Whites are completely accepted as equals, in every way, these works are simply an illustration of the racism that is still present today.
A Call for Unity was written by eight White clergymen. Their main plea: for Black people to silence their call for equality in consideration of a more easily achieved peace between the races. A Letter from Birmingham Jail was written by none other than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who stated that the peace this nation truly needed was not one in which the African Americans basically bowed down and dealt with the racism but one in which the brothers and sisters of this nation, Black and White, worked together to achieve a more solid and equal peace among each other.
Several things can be gained from at both two works. Of course, the reader is presented with the truths of the segregated South, from the Colored Only and White Only signs to the unfair treatment of African Americans in the jail system, Dr. King exposes the reader to the true brutality of all that happened even in the end stages of segregation. Though many of the powerful whites in society thought it would be easier to ignore the problem, after reading Dr. Kings letter, I'm sure several of the clergymen saw the error in their ways.
Overall, the general effect these works had on me, was to show the error in the racist ways of our country. These problems still exist today, mostly within the church. Ever noticed that there still are Black churches and White churches? Not to mention the disapproving looks all interracial couples receive from the older generation of Blacks and Whites. Perhaps my reflection of this is issue would be positive, had it caused more of a change. But, until Blacks and Whites are completely accepted as equals, in every way, these works are simply an illustration of the racism that is still present today.
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