“Letter From Birmingham Jail”

• Genre: Nonfiction; letter
• Originally Published: 1963
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Central Concern: Civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. writes an open letter from Birmingham Jail, defending the right to engage in nonviolent protests opposing segregation.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Racism; segregation; social justice issues

Martin Luther King, Jr., Author

• Bio: Born in 1929 in Atlanta, GA; died by assassination in 1968 in Memphis, TN; civil rights activist and Baptist minister; graduated from Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, and Boston University; organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and helped to organize the 1963 March on Washington
• Other Works: Stride Toward Freedom (1958); “I Have a Dream” speech (1963)
• Awards: Nobel Peace Prize (1964); Time Magazine’s Man of the Year award (1963)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Interrelatedness of All Humanity
• Politics and the Church
• Nonviolent Direct Action Versus Violence

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the social and historical contexts regarding segregation that motivate King’s nonviolent approach in the civil rights movement.
• Use research and critical thinking skills in completing structured activities to make connections via the text’s themes of Nonviolent Direct Action Versus Violence and Politics and the Church.
• Create and develop a unique written response that demonstrates an understanding of the use of rhetorical devices in persuasive appeals.