Synopsis of “Letter from Birmingham Jail” By Martin Luther King, Jr.

The clergymen agreed that social injustices existed but argued that the battle against racial segregation should be argued only in the courts, not in the streets. They criticized Martin Luther King, calling him an “outsider” who causes trouble in the streets of Birmingham. To this, King referred to his belief that all communities and states were interrelated. He wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider…” King expressed his sorrow that the demonstrations were taking place in Birmingham but felt that the white power structure left the black community with no other choice.
The clergymen also disapproved of the enormous tension created by the demonstration. In response, King stated that he and his fellow demonstrators were using nonviolent direct action in order to cause tension that would force the wider community to face the issue head on. They hoped to create tension: a nonviolent tension that is needed for growth. King responded that without nonviolent forceful direct actions, true civil rights could never be achieved. The clergymen also disapproved of the timing of the demonstration. However, King believed that "this wait” has almost always meant Never.

King addressed the allegation that the civil rights movement was "extreme", first disputing the label but then accepting it. He argues that Jesus and other heroes were extremists and writes: "So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?"