This is a letter that Martin Luther King Jr. wrote to the Clergymen with the intention of addressing their concerns and also responding to some of their claims against him. This letter’s central theme is the theme of racism hence in this quote, "There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation." (King, 2016). In this quote he uses the term Negro to refer to the African Americans and clarifies that some injustices have happened to the Black race King (Luther, 2016). As such, while Nero was a derogatory name to refer to the Black Americans, he uses it to clarify to his audience that he is aware of the prejudice against the African Americans and this is also seen in the unsolved injustices like bombing.
Dr. King, therefore, proceeds to defend the peaceful protests and also his participation in the peaceful demonstrations to show that they are necessary. In defense of peaceful protests, he tries to reveal that the racism that is being faced by the African Americans cannot be solved unless through the demonstrations. Therefore, he states, “My friend, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure." (King, 2016). Through this statement, it is clear that Dr. King is revealing that civil rights for the African Americans have not been achieved and any little achievements that may have been made have been through legal and nonviolent pressure (peaceful protests). Thus, peaceful demonstrations are necessary for stopping racism.
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Further, Dr. King is making it clear that the level of racism is so high and it is a pressing issue whose impacts have reached an unbearable level. He thus says, “I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that “justice too long delayed is justice denied." In this statement, two things are standing out where the first one is the issues reaching an unbearable level and the fact that “wait” has become “never” (King, 2016). This quote shows that the author is trying to explain his audience the magnitude of racism and its effects that have become unbearable like the bombings mentioned above. He also clarifies that the protests are necessary since waiting is the same as nothing happening.
References
King, Luther, M., (2016). Letter from the Birmingham Jail .
