Quote from “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Except from Dr. King's letter from Birmingham Jail

Quick Facts

Location:

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Designation:

National Park

Amenities

1 listed

Wheelchair Accessible

Letter written by King on April 16, 1963, while confined in the Birmingham, AL city jail.  

On April 3, 1963, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, led by Dr. King, joined a boycott in Birmingham, AL, one of the most racially segregated cities in the country. The “Birmingham Campaign” protested business segregation ordinances.  

An injunction issued on April 10th banned all anti-segregation protest activity in the city. During a protest on April 12th challenging the ban, King and dozens were violently arrested, at the direction of the city’s Commissioner of Public Safety, “Bull” Connor. Responding to criticism from white religious leaders, King’s letter stated his reasons for the protests.  

Students joined the marches. Hundreds were arrested. Police used high-pressure fire hoses and police attack dogs against both demonstrators and bystanders. The brutality created public outrage. On May 10, 1963, businesses agreed to desegregate stores. Jailed protesters were released. The SCLC agreed to end the protests.