Sticking to your Values
What defines a person's character is how they act when things get tough
This article is the extended Post Script of a larger article, Martin Luther King Jr.: Practicing What You Preach.
On April 12th 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested for the 13th time. He and many others were taking part in nonviolent demonstrations against racial segregation and economic injustice in Birmingham, Alabama. He was taken to the Birmingham jail and placed in a cell in solitary confinement.
The morning after would be one that he would never forget. Someone slipped him a newspaper under his cell door, on which he found an announcement. Eight clergymen from all the major religions in the United States were urging him to stop the demonstrations, calling them unlawful and extremist.
King became so frustrated with what he read that he began writing an answer without a moment's notice. With nothing to write on, he began on the margins of the newspaper and continued on scraps of paper that he was able to gather with the help of some others.
His reply would later be famously known as the ''Letter from Birmingham Jail''.
Despite his indignation, he began the letter by giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Since I feel that you are men of genuine goodwill and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.
Throughout, King maintained a staunch position defending his belief in their movement for racial justice through nonviolence resistance.
One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one had a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ''an unjust law is no law at all.''
He then concluded the 7000-word letter by extending a hand of friendship.
I hope this letter finds you strong in faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader, but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother.
Despite being unjustly arrested, stripped of his rights, shut in a cell alone, and then reading a messages from important religious figures condemning him and his movement, King found it in himself to be courteous, holding strongly to his beliefs, and expressing love and hope.
Even in the worst of circumstances, Martin Luther King Jr. held strongly to his values of nonviolence.
Details and excerpts are from Letter from Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr..
Thanks very much for reading!
If you have any feedback, ideas, suggestions, things I can improve, anything at all, please let me know!
Heck, if there’s something I can help you with, I’ll try my best!
Leave a comment below, reply to my notes, join the subscriber chat, reach out on Reddit or Bluesky, or send an E-mail!
I’m always happy to keep in touch :)
Please share this article if you enjoyed reading it!
And if you want to read more articles every week, you can subscribe here:
See ya next time!
Matthieu