How did the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail “address those opposed to the civil rights movement?

Download Lessons: Civil Rights - MLK 

On April 12, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama after taking part in nonviolent protests against segregation. While in jail, King managed to get a copy of a newspaper in which eight local Christian clergymen had published a statement entitled, “A Call for Unity.” This statement criticized the Civil Rights Movement and King for provoking unnecessary violence in an “unwise and untimely” manner. King’s response – first written on the margins of the newspaper – later became the “Letter from a Birmingham jail.” This lesson aligns with the 9th – 10th grade reading and writings literacy standards, as well as the 11th grade history content standards. The lesson examines excerpts from both “A Call for Unity,” and “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Students will cite evidence from both documents in order to answer the following focus question: How did the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail “address those opposed to the civil rights movement?