MLK's Style in "Letter from Birminghmam Jail" Creates an Indisputable Leader

Martin Luther King Jr.'s style in "Letter from Birmingham Jail" irrefutably creates an image of a man who is both educated and willing to fearlessly speak up in the face of social injustice. His tone throughout the letter is one of confidence, knowledge, and- quite admirably- respect. He tells his "fellow clergymen," at whom the letter is directed, that he feels their concerns are worth responding to as they "are sincerely set forth."

King's voice maintains a formal yet factual stance throughout the letter. He confidently states that his reason for being in Birmingham is due to the injustices occurring there, justifying his concern by declaring, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere." Such a strong generalization as this again creates an image of a man who understands, who lives exactly the cause he is fighting for- in this case, of course, racial equality in American society. King continues to make such significant statements as this throughout the letter. He describes, with brutal honesty, the weight of discrimination Black people in the US face- simply because of their race. King describes "vicious mobs [who] lynch your mothers and fathers at will" and seeing your child "begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness towards white people."

King uses other stylistic elements- religious allusion, for example- to emphasize his agenda for social change. He mentions the apostle Paul, who traveled and "carried the gospel of Jesus Christ" with him. King then likens himself to Paul, stating that he is carrying "the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown." While it is a bold comparison, many people would argue it's a valid one.

One stylistic similarity between "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" are both King's and Holiday's use of brutally raw and descriptive language to emphasize discrimination faced by Black Americans. While they are very different mediums, the two pieces communicate similarly how unacceptable such discrimination is.

-Natalia de Gravelles