Question

3. Study the quotation, and answer the questions. (8 points)

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was 'well timed' in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word 'Wait!' It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never."
-Martin Luther King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail
What does this text tell us about why Martin Luther King was in jail, and what he hoped to accomplish?​

Answer 1

Answer: He hoped to make his critics understand that nonviolent protest was the best way to change unfair laws in Birmingham.

Explanation: King wrote this letter when he was criticized by religious authorities for promoting peaceful protests in favor of civil rights. These criticisms were so powerful that they caused King's arrest, causing him to write the letter. The letter was an act of defense by King, whose main objective was to defend his methods of protest and to reaffirm the reason why these protests were being raised. In other words, King wanted to make his critics understand that non-violent protests were beneficial and allowed for the search for changes in the unjust laws that were raised against blacks.