On April 12, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama after taking part in nonviolent protests against segregation.

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? Students will first analyze quotes from “A Call for Unity” to uncover inferred meetings.