Introduction
Martin Luther King wrote his famous April 1963 letter to answer his fellow clergy members’ accusations that he tried to find justice via civil disobedience rather than legal actions. They criticized King, claiming that his actions were unwise and untimely and would lead only to problems for him and others. He decided to answer and show that his activity was wise and timely, as there are no other ways to end racial discrimination and social injustice atrocities.
The Use of Emotional Appeal in Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail
One of his crucial strategies was appealing to people’s emotions by showing the detrimental results of racial segregation and its influence on people. He used emotionally charged examples of hostile, aggressive actions toward Black people to show how society becomes broken and filled with hate and injustice and how it is dangerous for everyone living there.
King wrote: “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your brothers and sisters at whim. When you have seen hate-filled police officers curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters. When you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothered in an airtight cage of poverty amid an affluent society” (King, Jr., 1963, p. 6). He then used these examples to answer why his activity is wise and timely. It is wise as it can help stop these atrocities and is timely, as they will not stop by themselves.
This strategy was successful, as it evoked emotional support in people, including those who are in power or can influence them. He wrote the letter as a part of the social discussion, implying that these clergymen are people of goodwill and showing respect to them. He did not humiliate or threaten them; conversely, he implied that all protests should be non-violent. However, he cited Saint Augustine as saying that unjust laws are not laws at all and showed that discriminatory laws are indeed unjust, leading to atrocities (King, Jr., 1963).
King’s passages, such as the one mentioned, conveyed the pain and suffering that African Americans endured under segregation. By using emotional appeals, King managed to engage the reader and show that civil rights are an essential subject. It humanized the issue of segregation and made it more actual to the reader. Rather than presenting dry statistics or legal arguments, King appealed to the reader’s emotions and sense of morality. He successfully showed that the issue of civil rights is not just legal or political but deeply moral, affecting the lives of real people.
Along with insisting that disobedience is necessary for ending racial segregation, Martin Luther King especially emphasized that protests must be non-violent and protesters should not answer on violence. I believe the combination of emotional appeal and non-violent pressure is an intelligent and working strategy for my portfolio project. It will enable me to reach necessary goals, evoke emotions, and involve people in the problem. The usage of emotionally charged language, supported by facts, attracts attention and shows the actuality of the theme.
Conclusion
Therefore, Martin Luther King’s letter is a masterful work that employs various strategies to advance the cause of civil rights. His crucial strategy was emotional appeals, which helped to humanize the issue of segregation, evoked empathy in people, and created an urgency for change. He inspired others to join the fight for civil rights, showing that social injustice is an actual problem for everyone. His strategy is efficient, as it raises important questions of morality and civil rights, shows emotionally charged examples of present atrocities, and proposes how non-violent protests can end them.
Reference
King, Jr., M. L. (1963). Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Web.