Dr. Martin Luther King Jr once declared, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. This very quote resonates deeply because this exact thought is the reason he wrote The Birmingham Letter. King’s letter from Birmingham Jail was very profound in its message. It was to white clergymen and the white moderates, who believed that his way of protesting segregation was causing unrest and tension. In the letter, Dr. King voiced strong points about injustices of our people that really spoke to me. Dr. King’s letter inspires me to stand strong in my beliefs, encourages me to stand up for what is right, and enlightens me on how to be a leader and better man overall.
As a result of Dr. King’s words of determination in the letter, it inspired me to never waver in my ideals and convictions. When he was being criticized by white clergymen and the white moderates, he stood his ground and held true to his beliefs. He even criticized the whites for being afraid to help African Americans achieve equal rights via protest. I realize how this difficult this must have been considering the times and it gives me the desire to be fearless like him when it comes to things I believe in. It takes a strong man to go against a majority who are doing everything in their power to keep his people under. He even kept to the bible as he protested white oppression. Dr. King’s dedication to the Black community and his strong nonviolent stance to injustice inspires me to be there for my African American community and aid in any way I can as well.
Furthermore, Dr. King’s letter encourages me to not be afraid to stand up to oppression and ridicule. King mention in his letter that African Americans tried to desegregate by meeting government officials. He was not afraid of them or their thoughts on him. I can relate to being ridiculed because when I was playing basketball for Tougaloo College, I was bas...
