“Letter from Birmingham Jail”

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(1963) A letter that Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed to his fellow clergymen while he was in jail in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, after a nonviolent protest against racial segregation (see also sit-ins). King defended the apparent impatience of people in the civil rights movement, maintaining that without forceful actions like his, equal rights for black people would never be gained. King upheld the general use of nonviolent civil disobedience against unjust laws, saying that human rights must take precedence over such laws. He claimed that “one who breaks an unjust law must do it openly, lovingly”; such a person, King said, is actually showing respect for law, by insisting that laws be just.

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Words nearby “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

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How to use “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in a sentence

As this list shows, punishments typically run to a short-ish jail sentence and/or a moderately hefty fine.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In memoriam, Parker Molloy writes a powerful letter to Leelah.
Six Must-Read Stories About Gay Mormon Husbands and Iranian Drug Wars|The Daily Beast|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Your letter highlights so many of the harsh realities trans people face, specifically in regard to how society rejects us.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Just a few short years ago, I sat down at my computer, and I typed out a similar goodbye letter.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Violators face up to nine months in jail or as much as $10,000 in fines.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He turned to the gentle accents of his sweet Alice, breathed in a letter which had been wet with her grateful tears.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Hoosier hurried on board the boat, and followed Dick's instructions to the letter.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
A letter from Fajardo to the king (December 10, 1621) concerns various matters of administration and business.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
How little did he divine that the letter of the doctor was called forth by a communication from the countess-dowager.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
With this letter is another by the same writer, dated July 30, 1622—a postscript to a duplicate of the preceding letter.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various