Discussion Topic: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s

"Letter From A Birmingham Jail"

Some Questions To Consider

Why did King write the letter?  Under what circumstances?  Why was he addressing white clergy?  How would you characterize the tone of the letter?

How does King describe segregation?  What are his major criticisms of segregation?  What is your response to this?

What are King's attitudes towards the law?  How does one distinguish between just and unjust laws?  How does one decide that a regulation is rooted in or a violation of "eternal law" or "natural law"?  Your response?

How would you describe King's philosophy of non-violence?  "The arc of the moral universe is long," wrote abolitionist Theodore Parker, "but it bends towards justice."  This was one of King's favourite quotations.  What is its meaning?  Do you agree?  Does it exist ina certain tension with King's statement's about the meaning of time?  Does it highlight some of the possible fracture points within the Civil Rights Movement?  What is the difference between non-violence as a tactic and non-violence as a philosophy?  How does King define violence?

How does King use his position within the church, and within the American tradition, to further his cause?  What seems to be the meaning of nationalism for King?

What was the meaning of jail for King?

What does King have to say about black nationalists?  About white moderates?

What are some tensions within King's philosophy?