Letter from Birmingham Jail

Definition

An open letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. while he was imprisoned for his participation in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, in which he defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism.

Analogy

Imagine being grounded for standing up to a bully at school. While you're stuck in your room, you write a letter explaining why it was important to stand up for what's right. That's similar to what Martin Luther King Jr. did with his Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Related terms

Civil Disobedience: The refusal to comply with certain laws as a peaceful form of political protest.

Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Racial Equality: The belief that individuals, regardless of their racial characteristics, are morally, politically, and legally equal and should be treated as such.