Letter from Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Written April 16th, 1963 by Martin Luther King Jr, the Letter from Birmingham Jail was a response to the “A Call for Unity” open letter written by 8 white clergymen criticizing the protests of King and the SCLC. King’s letter asserted that people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and take direct action, and became an important text in the American Civil Rights Movement.


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The full transcript of the letter

The story behind the letter, and the Call for Unity letter that sparked King’s response

Learn more about the breadth of Dr. King's life (and where you can learn more)

Explore the lasting significance of King's I Have a Dream speech from the March on Washington

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