Letter from Birmingham Jail

by Martin Luther King Jr. Narrated by Dion Graham

Overview

April 16th. The year is 1963. Birmingham, Alabama has had a spring of non-violent protests known as the Birmingham Campaign, seeking to draw attention to the segregation against blacks by the city government and downtown retailers. The organizers longed to create a non-violent tension so severe that the powers that be would be forced to address the rampant racism head on. Recently arrested was Martin Luther King, Jr.. It is there in that jail cell that he writes this letter; on the margins of a newspaper he pens this defense of non-violence against segregation. His accusers, though many, in this case were not the white racist leaders or retailers he protested against, but 8 black men who saw him as “other” and as too extreme. To them and to the world he defended the notion that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Audio

But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.” This simple, yet utterly powerful intro to what is surely one of the most important letters in the history of the United States instantly transports listeners to the prison cell where Martin Luther King Jr. penned this masterful epistle. Narrator Dion Graham bends his voice to adjust to the smooth, southern tones of King, instilling in the listener an immediate sense of importance and nostalgia. Graham’s delivery is stellar. He reads the words as Martin Luther King Jr. likely would have and, in turn, Dr. King’s message is conveyed with great care and compassion. A truly rousing performance. An Overbrook paperback. (Apr.)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170112104
Publisher:	EChristian, Inc.
Publication date:	04/15/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	821,649

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