Martin Luther King Jr. An Annotated Sample from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. (1929–1968) first came to national notice in 1955, when he led a successful boycott against the policy of restricting African American passengers to rear seats on city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, where he was minister of a Baptist church. He subsequently formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which brought people of all races from all over the country to the South to fight nonviolently for racial integration. In 1963, King led demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, that were met with violence; a bomb was detonated in a black church, killing four young girls. King was arrested for his role in organizing the protests, and while in prison, he wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to justify his strategy of civil disobedience, which he called “nonviolent direct action.”
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King begins his letter by discussing his disappointment with the lack of support he has received from white moderates, such as the group of clergy who published criticism of his organization in the local newspaper.
As you read, try to infer what the clergy’s specific criticisms might have been, and notice the tone King uses. Would you characterize the writing as apologetic, conciliatory, accusatory, or something else?
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ANALYZE & WRITE
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Select a reading from chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 or from another text, and mark the text using annotations like these:
Circle words to be defined in the margin.
Underline key words and phrases.
Bracket important sentences and passages.
Use lines or arrows to connect ideas or words.
Write marginal comments like these:
Number and summarize each paragraph.
Define unfamiliar words.
Note responses and questions.
Identify interesting writing strategies.
Point out patterns.
Layer additional markings in the text and comments in the margins as you reread for different purposes.