Racial Inequality: Martin Luther King Jr’s Response Racism in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, was written to address eight white clergymen who had written statements criticizing King’s nonviolent actions against racial inequality. Through the letter, King expressed his ideas and reasons for his actions. King uses rhetorical appeals, such as ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade readers to agree with his argument of taking on nonviolent actions to deal with racism an inequality towards African Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. uses ethos to create credibility. King says, “I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating on every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia” (150). King introduces himself
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uses logos to defend and strengthen his argument against the clergymen. King establishes himself as being intelligent and well informed. He provides a great definition of “just and unjust laws”, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is law. All segregation statues are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damage the personality” (King 153). He provides an example of Adolf Hitler. King says, “Everything Hitler did in Germany was “legal’ and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal. It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew un Hitler’s Germany” (153). Assassination of Jewish people was legal but unjust. He implies that segregation and discrimination against African Americans is legal but unjust. King uses great examples of logos to strengthen his argument by logically explaining the meaning of being an “extremist. Lastly, Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos to connect to the readers emotionally. He shares a personal experience that will make readers feel sympathy for him and
uses logos to defend and strengthen his argument against the clergymen. King establishes himself as being intelligent and well informed. He provides a great definition of “just and unjust laws”, “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is law. All segregation statues are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damage the personality” (King 153). He provides an example of Adolf Hitler. King says, “Everything Hitler did in Germany was “legal’ and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was “illegal. It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew un Hitler’s Germany” (153). Assassination of Jewish people was legal but unjust. He implies that segregation and discrimination against African Americans is legal but unjust. King uses great examples of logos to strengthen his argument by logically explaining the meaning of being an “extremist. Lastly, Martin Luther King Jr. uses pathos to connect to the readers emotionally. He shares a personal experience that will make readers feel sympathy for him and