Epistle

"Letter from Birmingham Jail" is kind of like an essay, a pamphlet, and a manifesto rolled into one. It has a clear message and rhetorical goal (essay), it's aiming to garner support and political action from its readers (pamphlet), and it serves as a primer for those new to the idea of non-violent civil disobedience in particular and the Civil Rights Movement in general (manifesto).

Nonetheless, it's a direct response to a letter-to-the-editor from eight Alabama clergymen. It mostly confines itself to the specific subjects brought up and alluded to by that original letter, and directly addresses the clergymen with a Christian vocabulary and Biblical allusions. It's an open letter, kind of like Paul's epistles in the Bible.

How it Breaks Down

Section 1: Introduction—Why I'm in Birmingham

Dr. King begins by explaining that he's responding to the eight clergymen because he believes them to be "men of genuine good will" with "criticisms […] sincerely set forth." (1) Because they criticized him and the SCLC for coming from "outside" Birmingham, he justifies his presence, capping his argument off with one of his most memorable quotes: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…" (4)

Section 2: A Beginner's Guide to Non-Violent Direct Action

Dr. King segues (no, they didn't have Segways back then) into a basic overview of the process and philosophy of nonviolent civil disobedience. He explains some of the behind-the-scenes decision-making to debunk the idea that the demonstrators were trying to cause chaos with no regard to the consequences. And he explains why bringing underlying social tension to the surface is how justice is eventually won.

Section 3: We've Been Waiting for a While Now

Then Dr. King turns to the question of why all this hubbub has to happen now. He gives a brief historical context to the Black struggle, describing how Black Americans have always been told to wait for justice to come to them, and how intolerable the situation really is. He argues that if white people understood the problems and oppression facing the Black community, they'd be fully supportive.

Section 4: Some Laws Are Right, Some Are Wrong

This section really gets to the core of Dr. King's philosophy. While his opponents call for law and order, he's trying to call attention to unjust, discriminatory laws that have no business existing in America. He makes a very logical set of distinctions between just and unjust laws, reminding the reader that evil has often been done legally, most notably in Nazi Germany, and that good has come of people conscientiously breaking laws and accepting the penalties.

Section 5: Dr. King Is Disappointed with White Moderates

Dr. King expresses his disappointment with white people who claim to be in favor of desegregation but don't…walk the walk. He explains that justice doesn't come automatically over time, and that every advance made toward a better world has come from the active efforts of good people. He defends himself as an extremist for love in the tradition of Jesus.

Section 6: Dr. King Is Disappointed with the Church

Dr. King says that the Civil Rights Movement was hoping for support from white churches and Christian organizations in the South, but that support hasn't appeared. Yet he spends a good deal of this section praising the actions of many white individuals who have participated in and supported the demonstrations. He praises the clergymen he's responding to. He hopes that the church as a whole will move toward justice so it doesn't become a husk of its former self.

Section 7: Can't Keep Black People Down

In this brief section, Dr. King gets super inspirational, saying how sure he is that the Civil Rights Movement will prevail. Black people come from a history of slavery, and if they could survive that, they'll survive Jim Crow. Because the founding ideas of America and Christianity are on their side, Dr. King knows that they're going to win the struggle.

Section 8: Oh Yeah, About the Police

The eight white clergymen had commended the Birmingham Police for enforcing law and order and such, so Dr. King had to set the record straight. He describes the actual conduct of police officers at the demonstrations and in the jails. He wonders why the police are being praised and not the protestors. He doubles down on his claim that the real heroes will eventually get the respect they deserve.

Section 9: Conclusion

Dr. King decides to wrap it up and is very polite and proper about it. He hopes his letter is well understood and received, and that he and the clergymen can meet soon. He ends on a typical poetic flourish, looking forward to the day when America will be free of racial conflict.