Letter from Birmingham Jail

The last time I read this letter was in college. It rocked me. As I read it again this morning I'm as shocked as I was ten years ago. His words are haunting. Not only because of the picture it paints of our shameful past, but also because of how much his message still applies today. King wrote the letter from the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was confined after being arrested for his part in the non-violent protest against racial segregation by Birmingham's city government and downtown retailers. King's letter is a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963, titled "A Call For Unity". The clergymen agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts, not in the streets. It's long, but it's an extremely worthwhile read.

Letter from Birmingham Jail