Letter from Birmingham City Jail Summary

When he was given contact allowance, he got a Birmingham post herald of April 13 copy. The copy contained a public letter which came from local clergymen protestant, Jewish as well as the Catholics. The copy rejected the demonstrations; it claimed the protests were unwise and untimely too. The clergymen urged patience as they refused the segregation. However the king was not an addressee, his name was not mentioned also in this letter. They outlined his aim for writing the letter. For example, he said that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (p. 807) and “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed,” (p. He said this to show the clergymen that protest was the only solution to convey equity among the races.