Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop” speech is the last speech he gave before his assassination on April 4, 1968. King came to Memphis to speak to the black sanitation workers who were on strike due to the unfair treatment and working conditions that they experienced at their jobs. King was always a proponent of non violent protest in response to the mistreatment of African Americans. Violence is the natural response of anyone who feels that they have been mistreated but King knows that there is another alternative to affective the much needed change in their community. Instead of violence, which may result in the losing of more African American lives, King proposes that what is instead needed is hit their oppressors economically. For one they should boycott Coca-Cola products until changes have been made. Withholding your manual support by refusing to work for these companies would not be enough. They needed to completely withhold their financial support as well by not buying their products. King knows that the only color that has stronger in influence in the South rather than black or white is green. If you really want your oppressor to pay attention to your cause then you need to emphatically grab their attention by hitting them where it hurts, in the wallet. Secondly, he calls for African Americans to invest in black owned businesses and start black owned banks. He tells them that they will need to pull together for it to work but it is necessary if they are to rise as a people. They needed to get their money completely out of the white owned businesses and focus on building up their communities. This will make them strong as a united people and then they would really have their oppressor’s attention.

Because King is from a Christian background he deeply believes that social and economic justice is not just and American duty but a Christian duty. He believes that the Bible calls anyone who says they are a Christina to take of the cause of the poor and the oppressed. He references Scriptures where Jesus explicitly states that that is the reason for which he came (Luke 4) and Scriptures where Jesus tells others to do the same (Luke 10). Here King is calling for anyone claims to be Christian that this is their time to act. The black community are the poor and needy of the hour and that it is their Christian duty to help. This seems to be a call not just to the African American community but to anybody anywhere that would identify as Christian. He’s bringing attention to the situation going on in Memphis and saying that the true Christian would help these people because it has always been the responsibility of the Christian to take up the cause of the poor and needy.

King’s “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop” and Fredrick Douglas’ “Meaning of the Fourth of July for Negroes” have many similarities. Both speak towards the injustices that are taking place against the African Americans. In both speeches, Douglas and King believes that every person deserves fair treatment and justice. Both call upon the Bible as a source of authority to speak for social change. Like King, Douglas believes that it is the Christian duty to be on the side of the Negro and that to do so would be the unchristian thing to do.

Finally, King’s speech had so many forceful and persuasive parts but I believe his most powerful illustration was his use of the end Deuteronomy. In it Moses is allowed to view the Promised Land but is not able to enter it. King compares himself to Moses in saying that he may not get to see the change that the African American community is headed towards but he knows that it is on the horizon. In this illustration, King eludes to his own death as if he knew he would be the very next day. Given his subsequent death, the people rally around King as a martyr and Messiah figure for the African American community. The illustration was powerful by itself, but his death made it all the more dramatic. It was not just big deal in the African American community but it became worldwide news very fast, making this one of the famous and powerful speeches not just for King, but one of the biggest speeches on social justice of all time.

In “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” Martin Luther King Jr. proposes different methods to support the sanitation workers who are on strike in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1968, hundreds of these workers walked away from their job in protest because of dangerous conditions and years of discrimination. King told people during his speech to “tell their neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola in Memphis. Go by and tell them not to buy Sealtest milk” because these are companies that have not been fair to workers, so King is suggesting that the people of Memphis refuse to purchase their products (King 186). Also, they are companies with a lot of power and by boycotting them they’ll be forced to “support the needs and the rights of these men that are on strike” (King 186). King’s other method to support these workers is to “strengthen black institutions” by starting “bank-in” and “insurance-in” movements (King 187). People would need to take their money out of the big banks and start using the Tri-City Bank, and they would need to start getting insurance from “black” insurance companies. By doing this, the local government would be further pressured with huge bank and insurance losses; it would force them to fix their broken worker system.

King also uses many Biblical references in his speech. These references are used to show his developed ideas of social and economic justice. He asks, “Who is it that is supposed to articulate the longings and aspirations of the people more than the preacher?” and then says the preacher must say, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5:24) and that he “must say with Jesus, ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to deal with the problems of the poor (Luke 4:18)’” (King 185). King is using these Biblical passages to build on his belief that it’s God’s will to help people of social and economic injustice. He continues by saying, “God has commanded us to be concerned about the slums down here, and his children who can’t eat three square meals a day” and if nothing is done then his “agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you” (King 186). With all of these people suffering from poverty, how can King call himself a Christian if he stands by and does nothing? How can any church claim to preach the gospel if they aren’t helping the poor? King doesn’t want violence, he just wants fair treatment for all. And if the people don’t get it, if they don’t get social and economic justice they deserve, then everyone should avoid the companies that are oppressing them.

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” also has some similarities to Frederick Douglass’ “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” Besides the repetitive diction and style of speech, both speak of injustices happening to people because of greed, selfishness and hate. They bring up scripture and how it’s God’s will to help those less fortunate than you; and yet, many Christians are on the side against the poor, so they need to realize that what they’re fighting for isn’t godly, but against Jesus’ word. Biblical quotes and references are used throughout both to really show that God wants this change to society because innocent people have suffered for much too long when they shouldn’t have to. Both just want equality and fair rights for all.

Two parts of King’s speech were the most persuasive and influential. The first is at the beginning when King brings up different time frames and repeats that he “wouldn’t stop there” so he can “live just a few years in the second half of the twentieth century (King 183).” He said, “I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding – something is happening in our world. The masses are rising up” (King 183). Not only is it the fact that Martin Luther King Jr. died the next day after saying this, but it’s his foreshadowing of a movement that would change the world that makes this portion so significant. It isn’t just King that’s demanding change, but God himself that is working through the masses, making this a very persuasive message. The second significant portion is at the very end when King seems to allude to his death by saying, “I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land” (King 189). This last part really hones in on King’s belief that this movement to the “promised land,” or freedom from racism and injustice, isn’t really about him, but about everyone. He’s almost acting like a prophet who is preaching God’s will before his death. It’s a passage filled with many emotions. After hearing or reading this and seeing that King got assassinated the very next day, many people flocked to his cause or felt even more motivation to enact change.

Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham illustrates the great disappointment that King had toward his nation, and his fellow believers in the way that they were treating issues of race. In the letter written from jail, the justness of laws and actions of civil rights activists are questioned in relation to morals and God’s law. King addresses the issue of which laws are just/unjust and why it is only moral to not follow some laws as they greatly contradict the laws of God. There are two reasons to follow a law and that is for legal reasons and for the sake of morals, but he continues to quote St. Augustine, saying “an unjust law is no law at all.” Laws of segregation are largely unjust because it causes separation while giving one group superiority and consequently makes another group inferior. King agrees with Paul Tillich in that separation is sin and then argues that “segregation is not only politically, economically, and sociologically sound, it is morally wrong and sinful.” This reasoning is the justification for the Black community to fight segregation laws, while following the 1954 jurisdiction to integrate schools; hence the laws aligned in solid morals should be followed and those laws that are morally unjust should not be followed, but reprimanded. King references the Bible story from the book of Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to further support his argument. These 3 men were punished for disobeying the orders to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image, as it was a ruling that did not align with God’s law. This story is parallel to King being forced to follow laws that are immoral and being punished for defying them.

Another issue that King covers is the accusation that the Black rights movement is violent and is viewed as extremist. The movement was ridden with violence, although not from the Black Activists; the violence was primarily from police, who of course were all White. In fact, King’s movement was forceful (for completely justifiable reasons) without being violent. He states, “Rather, I have tried to say that this is normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action.” Acts of violence go along with almost any important movement or piece of history, but that should not be reason to condemn groups for fighting for what is right. Violence is an issue to consider, but often times the problem at hand is more important than the potential violence that may come along when advocating for movements of great significance. King makes his point as follows: “We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence.”

The accusations that the civil rights movement was considered “extremist” was at first insulting, but then King draws encouragement from the Bible as many of the greatest figures were considered extremists. Even Jesus, the son of God, was an “extremist of love.” Other Biblical characters who exemplify extremist qualities that King notes are Amos (extremist for justice), and Paul (extremist for the Gospel). In this sense, being entitled an extremist was not necessarily something of negative nature. Extremists can accomplish great things, just like Martin Luther King Jr did; extremist of just laws and treatment of all people that aligns with morals and God’s laws. While these allegations were being thrown around publicly, the White Christian churches said nothing to defend the Civil Rights movement even though segregation is morally wrong. King expresses his disappointment in his fellow believers’ lack of action and suggests a flaw within the church is that they are concerned with being non-conforming; “Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church,…” Although there is disappointment in the church as a whole, there is hope in personal faith in God and the few others who are brave enough to protest the wrongs of segregation laws.

Martin Luther King Jr’s letter uses numerous tactics to dramatize the severity of the issue at hand. One of my favorite examples that is used is the comparison of segregation laws in America to laws in Germany under Hitler. King points out that the way Jews were treated was completely justified by the laws, even though totally morally wrong. This comparison was probably even more shocking when the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was written because it was chronologically so much closer to when WWII/Holocaust occurred. Another really powerful point that King makes is the underestimated importance of the value of time. He receives a letter from a friend in Texas that suggests the Civil Rights movement will just take time. King does not agree with the notion that all things can be fixed just with time. If those who are fighting for justice do not use time wisely, suffering will continue to ensue. King rebuttals his friend’s notion of “all in due time” by stating: “Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of goodwill.” It is evident that Martin Luther King Jr sees the extreme importance and heaviness of segregation issues and is confident that eventually equality will be established, but only through a sense of urgency and determination.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” uses impressive rhetoric to prove his clear points on why he came to Birmingham while graciously addressing each of his critic’s points against him. Throughout the letter, King uses scripture along with references to the early church to explore various themes for which he has been critiqued. For instance, he addresses the ideas of justice and injustice by arguing that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (1). King defends his trip to Birmingham to promote justice by referencing the apostle Paul and how he journeyed from his homeland to spread the gospel to areas far from him. Where there is injustice, King points out it is his duty as a Christian to promote justice for the sake of humanity.

On the subject of nonviolent direct action, King asserts that the goal of these protests is to bring to the surface the underlying tensions present in society so that they may be addressed in light of a higher moral standard. Here, he uses an example from Daniel in the bible in which three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refuse to bow before the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar upon the grounds of being faithful to God in not bowing before an idol. These men, King points out, peacefully disobeyed the law due to the higher moral standard for which they were accountable and accepted their punishment for it, bringing to light the injustice of Nebuchadnezzar’s law without violence.

In terms of extremism, King admits that at first he did not want to be associated with extremism. However, looking back at the bible, he points out the good that can come from extremism if it is used the correct way. He exemplifies Paul, Amos, and Jesus Christ as extremists who were bold in their declarations about love, justice and the gospel. For instance, he quotes Jesus as saying “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to             them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,” something that was radical to the people of the time who were taught to love their neighbor but to hate their enemies (6). Thus, extremism can be used for good things, like advocacy for love and justice, something King argues is much needed in the United States.

In addressing the mainstream church, King asserts that the church has become weak with an “uncertain sound” (8). He recalls the early church, where Christians were not afraid to suffer for what they believed and calls the church to return to that state of faith. In regards to the spiritual church, he commends those within the church who are stepping outside of the weakness of the mainstream church and have “preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times” (8).

Finally, King addresses the fact that using immoral means to achieve moral ends is just as wrong as using moral means to achieve immoral ends. He draws from T.S. Eliot, quoting “‘the last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason’” (9). Therefore, his protests are justified in that they are using moral, nonviolent means in order to achieve a moral end, justice everywhere for everyone.

King uses exceptional rhetoric throughout his letter. For example, he uses several metaphors, one being his comparison of injustice to a boil that needs to be popped in order to be fully taken care of and healed. He also appeals to emotions in several spots, the most prominent in a long paragraph describing the daily sufferings of colored people. He explains at one point how a father has to explain to his six year old daughter that she cannot go to an amusement park, “and see tears welling up in her eyes because she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children” (3). King also references historical events to prove his point, such as the fact that technically everything Hitler did was “legal” while those who housed Jewish families during that time were acting “illegally.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. spent eight days in jail for leading a peaceful protest against segregation.  During that time, an ally smuggled a newspaper to him that contained criticism against King by leading white church leaders.  In response to the newspaper article, King wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail within the margins of the same newspaper.  King’s letter provides a logical and unemotional response to why the African American community was engaged in peaceful protests and King’s hope for the response of the white church.

King starts his letter by positioning himself as an insider rather than an outsider.  Outsiders are frequently seen as a threat to those who believe they have a right to belong to a particular group, so King argues why he has a right to speak up: he was invited by his organizational ties and it’s his duty as a Christian to correct injustice when he sees it, “just as the Apostle Paul” did (King, 1).  King defines justice as “a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God… Any law that uplifts human personality is just” (King, 4).  In contrast, “an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law… Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King, 4).  King argues that injustice is “morally wrong and sinful” (King, 4) because it creates a divide between people.  If people are brothers and sisters in Christ, then such actions that promote difference, superiority, and inferiority are not God’s will.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, no one is an outsider.

As an insider, King and his movement tried negotiations with city leaders but this only became a cycle of broken promises.  Since talking about negotiation hadn’t been fruitful in bringing about change, King argues that “this is the very purpose of direct action.  Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.  It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored” (King, 2).  By using their bodies as physical barriers, they created opposition against the oppressors.  By using sit-ins and refusing to spend their hard-earned money at certain establishments, these protests created a visual and financial impact that could not be ignored by white society.  As king points out, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (3).  King argues that these actions are necessary in order for their society to grow to become what God intended America to be.

These actions were deemed extreme by those who wanted to maintain the status quo.  King argues that what others might call extremism isn’t so bad when considering biblical characters and great men in history who stood for what they believed was right.  For example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego disobeyed the laws of Nebuchadnezzar.  Other examples of “normal and healthy discontent [that were] channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action” (King, 7) included Amos, Paul, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and perhaps most importantly, Jesus Christ.  King argues that these actions are the natural consequence of an oppressed people and he will be “an extremist for love” (7) like Christ was.

This love of Christ and His church drove King to express his deep dissatisfaction with the church.  He states, “I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership” (King, 8).  This disappointment stems from the opposition King and his movement experienced when he had expected that “white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among [their] strongest allies” (King, 8).  This disillusionment led King to criticize the church for not doing what was morally right for their African American brothers and sisters.  Rather than providing support, many white Christians “remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows” (King, 8).  White Christians found security within their church buildings which allowed them to develop social blinders to the harm being inflicted upon the black community.  King criticizes the ministers who made an “un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular” (King, 9) that allowed the white churches to so easily dismiss their African American Christian brothers and sisters.  This deliberate disregard of the abuses by the white community was what King would call unchristian.

Two of the most striking aspects of this letter are both the tone and how it can be applied to social injustices still happening today.  First, King’s letter is logical, unemotional, and level-headed as he appeals to his fellow clergymen.  While many religious sects rely on high emotions and passion to get their spiritual message across, King instead relies on reason.  In a time when racism was the norm, King’s even tone challenged the stereotypical angry black male trope and appealed to the logic of white church leaders.  This was another act of resistance by King since his reason disrupted accepted beliefs of the character of the African American people.  Second, injustice is still happening to marginalized people today.  Laws are being passed to control the bodies of our LGBT brothers and sisters.  The rhetoric is that laws are being put in place to protect the imaginary child, yet, just as King provided facts to back his claims, it has been proven that our LGBT brothers and sisters are the group at highest risk for violence committed against them.  King’s call for a united people who act out of Godly love towards one another is still applicable today and that’s what makes his letter still so powerful.