Bass, S. Jonathan. Blessed are the peacemakers; Martin Luther King, Jr., eight white religious leaders, and the "Letter from Birmingham Jail.".Louisiana State Univ. 344p. notes. bibliog. index. c2001. 0-8071-2800-7 $17.95. SA Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter From Birmingham Jail The Letter from Birmingham Jail or Letter from Birmingham City Jail, was an open letter written on April 16, 1963 by Martin Luther King, Jr., an American civil rights leader. " marked an important moment in the Civil Rights Movement. While the letter has become part of history, the circumstances surrounding the writing and the effects of the letter on those to whom it was addressed are not as well known. Bass, an assistant professor at Birmingham's Samford University Not to be confused with Stanford University. Samford University is a private, coeducational, Baptist-affiliated university located in Homewood, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. As of 2006, Samford ranks number four in the South among master's degree institutions in this year's U. , documents the story behind the demonstrations in Birmingham in 1963 that led to Dr. King's arrest. While in jail King began to compose a response to the eight white clergy who had issued "An Appeal for Law and Order and Common Sense" in January 1963 and a "Good Friday Good Friday, anniversary of Jesus' death on the cross. According to the Gospels, Jesus was put to death on the Friday before Easter Day. Since the early church Good Friday has been observed by fasting and penance. Statement" on April 12, 1963, urging restraint, avoidance of violence, and a more gradual approach to desegregation desegregation: see integration. in the city. While the letter appeared to be addressed specifically to the eight religious leaders, Bass demonstrates that the letter had a much wider audience. Begun as notes written while King was jailed, the letter grew and expanded to become a rallying cry Noun 1. rallying cry - a slogan used to rally support for a cause; "a cry to arms"; "our watchword will be `democracy'" war cry, watchword, battle cry, cry catchword, motto, shibboleth, slogan - a favorite saying of a sect or political group 2. and crystallization Crystallization The formation of a solid from a solution, melt, vapor, or a different solid phase. Crystallization from solution is an important industrial operation because of the large number of materials marketed as crystalline particles. of the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement. Bass also introduces the eight religious leaders, six Protestant clergymen, one Catholic bishop, and one Jewish rabbi, who reflect a wide range of beliefs and a deep concern for the disturbances engulfing Birmingham. Their lives would never be the same after the letter. For better or worse, they either grew and changed or found themselves swept away as the gradual approach to desegregation gave way to more active integration. While in their hearts they may have believed in the equality of all people, black and white, the tide of history and the impact of the impassioned Dr. King and his astute followers meant that these eight white clergymen would remain symbols of Southern intransigence in·tran·si·gent also in·tran·si·geant adj. Refusing to moderate a position, especially an extreme position; uncompromising. [French intransigeant, from Spanish intransigente : . Bass tries to set the record straight and provide "a balanced and generally objective study" of the complex circumstances that make up the scenario of "Letter From Birmingham Jail," its author, and the recipients who struggled with moral and legal issues during a pivotal moment in America's history. Recommended for libraries and for upper-level U.S. history classes. Mary T. Gerrity, Camp Springs, MD |
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