LetterfromBirminghamJailMartinLutherKing全文.docx

LetterfromBirminghamJailMartinLutherKing全文.docx

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LetterfromBirminghamJailMartinLutherKing全文

Keepyourpatienceandreadon.I’msureyou’lllearnalotfromMartinLutherKing.

Background:

•KingorganizeddemonstrationsinBirmingham,Alabama,in1963.

•ThenKingwasarrested,andwhilehewasinjail,eightwhiteAlabamaclergymenissuedapublicstatementdeploringthedemonstrationsas“unwiseanduntimely”.

•Kingthuswrotealettertorespond.

Contents

P1-P2thepublicstatementwrittenbyeightAlabamaclergymen

P3-theendKing’srespondingletter

ThefollowingisthepublicstatementdirectedtoMartinLutherKing,Jr.,byeightAlabamaclergymen

Wetheundersignedclergymenareamongthosewho,inJanuary,issued"anappealforlawandorderandcommonsense,"indealingwithracialproblemsinAlabama.Weexpressedunderstandingthathonestconvictionsinracialmatterscouldproperlybepursuedinthecourts,buturgedthatdecisionsofthosecourtsshouldinthemeantimebepeacefullyobeyed.

Sincethattimetherehadbeensomeevidenceofincreasedforbearanceandawillingnesstofacefacts.Responsiblecitizenshaveundertakentoworkonvariousproblemswhichcauseracialfrictionandunrest.InBirmingham,recentpubliceventshavegivenindicationthatweallhaveopportunityforanewconstructiveandrealisticapproachtoracialproblems.

However,wearenowconfrontedbyaseriesofdemonstrationsbysomeofourNegrocitizens,directedandledinpartbyoutsiders.Werecognizethenaturalimpatienceofpeoplewhofeelthattheirhopesareslowinbeingrealized.Butweareconvincedthatthesedemonstrationsareunwiseanduntimely.

WeagreeratherwithcertainlocalNegroleadershipwhichhascalledforhonestandopennegotiationofracialissuesinourarea.Andwebelievethiskindoffacingofissuescanbestbeaccomplishedbycitizensofourownmetropolitanarea,whiteandNegro,meetingwiththeirknowledgeandexperienceofthelocalsituation.Allofusneedtofacethatresponsibilityandfindproperchannelsforitsaccomplishment.

Justasweformerlypointedoutthat"hatredandviolencehavenosanctioninourreligiousandpoliticaltraditions,"wealsopointoutthatsuchactionsasincitetohatredandviolence,howevertechnicallypeacefulthoseactionsmaybe,havenotcontributedtotheresolutionofourlocalproblems.WedonotbelievethatthesedaysofnewhopearedayswhenextrememeasuresarejustifiedinBirmingham.

Wecommendthecommunityasawhole,andthelocalnewsmediaandlawenforcementofficialsinparticular,onthecalmmannerinwhichthesedemonstrationshavebeenhandled.Weurgethepublictocontinuetoshowrestraintshouldthedemonstrationscontinue,andthelawenforcementofficialstoremaincalmandcontinuetoprotectourcityfromviolence.

WefurtherstronglyurgeourownNegrocommunitytowithdrawsupportfromthesedemonstrations,andtounitelocallyinworkingpeacefullyforabetterBirmingham.Whenrightsareconsistentlydenied,acauseshouldbepressedinthecourtsandinnegotiationsamonglocalleaders,andnotinthestreets.WeappealtobothourwhiteandNegrocitizenrytoobservetheprinciplesoflawandorderandcommonsense.

BishopC.C.J.Carpenter,D.D.,LL.D.,EpiscopalianBishopofAlabama

BishopJosephA.Durick,D.D.,AuxiliaryBishop,RomanCatholicDioceseofMobile,Birmingham

RabbiMiltonL.Grafman,TempleEmanu-El,Birmingham,Alabama

BishopPaulHardin,MethodistBishopoftheAlabama-WestFloridaConference

BishopNolanB.Harmon,BishopoftheNorthAlabamaConferenceoftheMethodistChurch

Rev.GeorgeM.Murray,D.D.,LL.D,BishopCoadjutor,EpiscopalDioceseofAlabama

Rev.EdwardV.Ramage,Moderator,SynodoftheAlabamaPresbyterianChurchintheUnitedStates

Rev.EarlStallings,Pastor,FirstBaptistChurch,Birmingham,Alabama

April12,1963

"LetterfromBirminghamJail[King,Jr.]"

16April1963

MyDearFellowClergymen:

WhileconfinedhereintheBirminghamcityjail,Icameacrossyourrecentstatementcallingmypresentactivities"unwiseanduntimely."SeldomdoIpausetoanswercriticismofmyworkandideas.IfIsoughttoanswerallthecriticismsthatcrossmydesk,mysecretarieswouldhavelittletimeforanythingotherthansuchcorrespondenceinthecourseoftheday,andIwouldhavenotimeforconstructivework.ButsinceIfeelthatyouaremenofgenuinegoodwillandthatyourcriticismsaresincerelysetforth,IwanttotrytoansweryourstatementinwhatIhopewillbepatientandreasonableterms.

IthinkIshouldindicatewhyIamhereinBirmingham,sinceyouhavebeeninfluencedbytheviewwhicharguesagainst"outsiderscomingin."IhavethehonorofservingaspresidentoftheSouthernChristianLeadershipConference,anorganizationoperatingineverysouthernstate,withheadquartersinAtlanta,Georgia.WehavesomeeightyfiveaffiliatedorganizationsacrosstheSouth,andoneofthemistheAlabamaChristianMovementforHumanRights.Frequentlywesharestaff,educationalandfinancialresourceswithouraffiliates.SeveralmonthsagotheaffiliatehereinBirminghamaskedustobeoncalltoengageinanonviolentdirectactionprogramifsuchweredeemednecessary.Wereadilyconsented,andwhenthehourcameweliveduptoourpromise.SoI,alongwithseveralmembersofmystaff,amherebecauseIwasinvitedhere.IamherebecauseIhaveorganizationaltieshere.

Butmorebasically,IaminBirminghambecauseinjusticeishere.JustastheprophetsoftheeighthcenturyB.C.lefttheirvillagesandcarriedtheir"thussaiththeLord"farbeyondtheboundariesoftheirhometowns,andjustastheApostlePaullefthisvillageofTarsusandcarriedthegospelofJesusChristtothefarcornersoftheGrecoRomanworld,soamIcompelledtocarrythegospeloffreedombeyondmyownhometown.LikePaul,ImustconstantlyrespondtotheMacedoniancallforaid.

Moreover,Iamcognizantoftheinterrelatednessofallcommunitiesandstates.IcannotsitidlybyinAtlantaandnotbeconcernedaboutwhathappensinBirmingham.Injusticeanywhereisathreattojusticeeverywhere.Wearecaughtinaninescapablenetworkofmutuality,tiedinasinglegarmentofdestiny.Whateveraffectsonedirectly,affectsallindirectly.Neveragaincanweaffordtolivewiththenarrow,provincial"outsideagitator"idea.AnyonewholivesinsidetheUnitedStatescanneverbeconsideredanoutsideranywherewithinitsbounds.

YoudeplorethedemonstrationstakingplaceinBirmingham.Butyourstatement,Iamsorrytosay,failstoexpressasimilarconcernfortheconditionsthatbroughtaboutthedemonstrations.Iamsurethatnoneofyouwouldwanttorestcontentwiththesuperficialkindofsocialanalysisthatdealsmerelywitheffectsanddoesnotgrapplewithunderlyingcauses.ItisunfortunatethatdemonstrationsaretakingplaceinBirmingham,butitisevenmoreunfortunatethatthecity'swhitepowerstructurelefttheNegrocommunitywithnoalternative.

Inanynonviolentcampaigntherearefourbasicsteps:

collectionofthefactstodeterminewhetherinjusticesexist;negotiation;selfpurification;anddirectaction.WehavegonethroughallthesestepsinBirmingham.Therecanbenogainsayingthefactthatracialinjusticeengulfsthiscommunity.BirminghamisprobablythemostthoroughlysegregatedcityintheUnitedStates.Itsuglyrecordofbrutalityiswidelyknown.Negroeshaveexperiencedgrosslyunjusttreatmentinthecourts.TherehavebeenmoreunsolvedbombingsofNegrohomesandchurchesinBirminghamthaninanyothercityinthenation.Thesearethehard,brutalfactsofthecase.Onthebasisoftheseconditions,Negroleaderssoughttonegotiatewiththecityfathers.Butthelatterconsistentlyrefusedtoengageingoodfaithnegotiation.

Then,lastSeptember,cametheopportunitytotalkwithleadersofBirmingham'seconomiccommunity.Inthecourseofthenegotiations,certainpromisesweremadebythemerchants--forexample,toremovethestores'humiliatingracialsigns.Onthebasisofthesepromises,theReverendFredShuttlesworthandtheleadersoftheAlabamaChristianMovementforHumanRightsagreedtoamoratoriumonalldemonstrations.Astheweeksandmonthswentby,werealizedthatwewerethevictimsofabrokenpromise.Afewsigns,brieflyremoved,returned;theothersremained.Asinsomanypastexperiences,ourhopeshadbeenblasted,andtheshadowofdeepdisappointmentsettleduponus.Wehadnoalternativeexcepttopreparefordirectaction,wherebywewouldpresentourverybodiesasameansoflayingourcasebeforetheconscienceofthelocalandthenationalcommunity.Mindfulofthedifficultiesinvolved,wedecidedtoundertakeaprocessofselfpurification.Webeganaseriesofworkshopsonnonviolence,andwerepeatedlyaskedourselves:

"Areyouabletoacceptblowswithoutretaliating?

""Areyouabletoenduretheordealofjail?

"WedecidedtoscheduleourdirectactionprogramfortheEasterseason,realizingthatexceptforChristmas,thisisthemainshoppingperiodoftheyear.Knowingthatastrongeconomic-withdrawalprogramwouldbethebyproductofdirectaction,wefeltthatthiswouldbethebesttimetobringpressuretobearonthemerchantsfortheneededchange.

ThenitoccurredtousthatBirmingham'smayoralelectionwascomingupinMarch,andwespeedilydecidedtopostponeactionuntilafterelectionday.WhenwediscoveredthattheCommissionerofPublicSafety,Eugene"Bull"Connor,hadpiledupenoughvotestobeintherunoff,wedecidedagaintopostponeactionuntilthedayaftertherunoffsothatthedemonstrationscouldnotbeusedtocloudtheissues.Likemanyothers,wewaitedtoseeMr.Connordefeated,andtothisendweenduredpostponementafterpostpon