In April of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr., was jailed in Birmingham, Alabama for his efforts in the civil rights movement. One day after King's arrest, a full-page advertisement taken out by a group of local, white, moderate, clergymen appeared in The Birmingham News (Wexler 163). They attacked the demonstrations as "unwise and untimely" and concluded, "We do not believe that these days of new hope are days when extreme measures are justified in Birmingham (Wexler 163-4)."

From his prison cell, King replied not only to the ministers' letter but also to an educated, white, middle-class audience, by writing his response in the margins of the newspaper and on toilet paper (Albert and Hoffman 141). "I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was well timed in the view of those who have not suffered from the disease of segregation," King, wrote in what was later published as the essay, Letter from Birmingham Jail (Wexler 164). The 6500 word letter went on to explain and make clear to the clergy and to the world why the struggle against racism must not be deferred (Wexler 164). King's main claim in this letter is that no matter what the circumstances are it is far

King gives credit to himself through ethos by comparing himself and his plight to great men and their plights throughout history. He does this to explain why he is in Birmingham, "...I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth-century prophets left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns (King par. 2)," to give credit to his civil disobedience, "It was seen sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar because a higher moral law was involved (King par. 18)," and to rationalize being an extremist, King writes, "Was not Jesus an extremist in love - " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you (King par. 26)." "So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists will we be (King par. 26)."

In another section King is speaking of traveling through the South and looking out at the churches he sees and asking himself, "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave the clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when tired, bruised, and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest (King par. 33)." Here Martin Luther King is using pathos to appeal to the people who call themselves Christians, but are acting in a very un-Christian like manner in regards to segregation.

And finally a look at the logos used in the essay Letter from Birmingham Jail. King uses this to show why he is in Birmingham in the first place. "I think I should give reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of "outsiders coming in." Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary.... So I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here (King par. 2)."

Once Martin Luther King, Jr., has deemed laws unjust he uses logos in his explanation of nonviolent direct action campaign, the basis of his movement in Birmingham. "In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: (1) collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, (2) negotiation, (3) self-purification, and (4) direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be gainsaying of the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community (King par. 5)."

beyond time for the black community to stand up and fight for what is rightfully theirs, the same rights and freedoms accorded to the white commun

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Approximate Word count = 1903
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)