Letter From Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King Jr's Letter from Birmingham Jail is a response to what many white clergymen had said to him.  They questioned why he was in Birmingham and they told many African Americans that it was the wrong time to protest.  In the letter MLK Jr said to these men that they have waited to long for freedom and for justice and that they have been oppressed for so long that they couldn't have possibly waited for a good time to protest.  He said that according to many white people there is no good time to protest.  Throughout the letter he compared the hardships African Americans have to many religious events and people.  He cited religion a lot in the letter.  Then he discussed his disappointment in the white church.  He thought that the church would help African Americans in their struggle however they have not helped at all and have often criticized the blacks for attempting to gain justice.  The language he used was very powerful and I believe the religious references he used were important in getting his point across.