THINKER'S ALMANAC - April 16

What sparked Martin Luther King, Jr. to write his famous letter from a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama?

Subject:  Rebuttal - Letter from Birmingham Jail

Event:  Martin Luther King, Jr. responsed to his critics, 1963

Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this day in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his Letter from Birmingham Jail.

King was jailed on April 12th for demonstrating against the injustice of racial segregation in Birmingham. As he sat in solitary confinement, a friend smuggled in a copy of a Birmingham newspaper for King to read.  In this paper, King read a public statement that criticized his activities in Birmingham.  The letter was signed by eight Alabama clergymen. It is this letter that moved King, a clergyman himself, to answer his critics. In the Letter from Birmingham Jail, we have a classic example of counterargument in action.  Respectfully responding to his critics’ claims point by point, King’s letter remains one of the strongest rhetorical rebuttals ever written.

King begins his letter by answering the charge that he is an outsider.  He answers this charge by talking about his affiliation with Christian organizations in Birmingham and the fact that he was invited to come.  Most forcefully, however, he argues that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Among the several rebuttals presented by King, perhaps his strongest is his response to his critics’ claim that his demonstrations are “untimely.”

Notice in the following excerpt how King combines reason and emotion to pointedly rebut the claim that African-Americans should be patient and wait for justice:

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly I have never yet engaged in a direct action movement that was “well timed,” according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word “Wait!” It rings in the ear of every Negro with a piercing familiarity. This “wait” has almost always meant “never.” It has been a tranquilizing thalidomide, relieving the emotional stress for a moment, only to give birth to an ill-formed infant of frustration. We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that “justice too long delayed is justice denied.” We have waited for more than three hundred and forty years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet-like speed toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward the gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.

After King wrote his letter by hand, it was turned over to his assistants who typed it and disseminated it as an “open letter.”

As the power of King’s rebuttals demonstrate, it is important to consider counterclaims in any argument you make.  By anticipating and clearly stating the arguments that run counter to your claim, you show the reader that you are not blind to the arguments of others who think differently than you do.  By rebutting or conceding to points made by the opposing side, you demonstrate to your reader that your argument is not just an exercise in persuading an audience that you are right; instead, it demonstrates to your audience that you are someone who is legitimately seeking the truth.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  How did Martin Luther King, Jr. rebut the accusation from his critics that his work in Birmingham was untimely?

Challenge - Stake The Counterclaims:  What are some possible objections that reasonable people might make to a position that you hold?  Brainstorm some issues that you feel strongly about and the claims that you would make about these issues.  Then, instead of building your case based on the reasons for your position, record the counterclaims. In other words, state your claim, and anticipate what reasons someone might give to disagree with your claim.

Sources:

1-King, Jr., Martin Luther.  “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” 16 April 1963.  African Studies Center - University of Pennsylvania.