FINAL LOOK AT MLK'S "LETTER FORM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL"

WE LISTENED TO MLK'S SPEECH ON "I'VE BEEN TO THE MOUNTAINTOP"  AND DISCUSSED THE THREE FREEDOMS HE DISCUSSES: FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF PRESS, AND FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY. HE SAYS ALL AMERICANS ARE GUARANTEED THESE RIGHTS IN THE CONSTITUTION AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.  HOW SUCCESSFUL HAS MLK BEEN IN HIS EFFORTS TO STOP THE INJUSTICE TO AFRICAN AMERICANS? WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DONE IN YOUR OPINION? WRITE YOUR VIEWS OR SAY IT IN A POEM OR SONG.

MLK's use of the media to make changes in society

What do you think of how films and news coverage can make changes in the world? How did MLK use the media to make change? How did the news coverage of the Birmingham marches and other demonstrations help to push forward the civil rights act?

THE FIGHT AGINAST INTEGRATION IN OLE MISS

What other films have you seen to describe race relations in the South? Describe the movie and how they portrayed the life in the South? How willing were the students in allowing a black student to attend the college?

COMPARISON OF MLK'S LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL TO THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS AND JFK'S INAUGURAL SPEECH OF 1961

Martin Luther King's most well-known writing is his "Letter from Birmingham Jail." He began writing the lengthy essay while jailed over Easter weekend in 1963. He eventually arranged its publication as part of a public relations strategy to bring national attention to the struggle for civil rights in the South.

The Letter has become a modern classic. It has been called the most important written document of the civil rights era and has been compared to Abraham Lincoln’s "Gettysburg Address" and John Kennedy’s First Inaugural in its literary and historical significance.

 

FROM THE VIDEOS WE SAW OF THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS AND JFK'S SPEECH WHERE HE SAYS, "ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY." COMPARE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MLK'S WORDS IN THE "LETTER." WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO YOU OF THE THREE. WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOR ALL AMERICANS? GIVE YOUR REASONS.

INJUSTICES IN THE SOUTH DURING THE 1960'S

Vocabulary: smothering; degrading, affluent; inferiority; concoct; resentments, degenerating, humiliated

THESE ARE THE WORDS USED IN TODAY’S PASSAGE OF “THE LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL” BY MARTIN LUTHER KING. LOOK UP THE DEFINITION OF 3 WORDS LISTED ABOVE AND CHOOSE AN OPTION TO SHOW YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THESE WORDS THAT WERE USED TO SHOW THE INJUSTICE EXPERIENCED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE SOUTH IN 1963.

Option 1 WRITE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Option 2 WRITE IDEAS IN PHRASES OR SENTENCES.

Option 3 WRITE A POEM OR CARTOON SHOWING THE IDEA

CHILDREN USED AS DEMONSTRATORS IN BIRMINGHAM

WELCOME BACK FROM VACATION! TODAY WE READ ABOUT HOW REV SHUTTLEWORTH AND MLK ENCOURAGED TEENS AND CHILDREN TO DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE INJUSTICE AGAINST BLACKS IN THE SOUTH.  COMPLETE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE POLICE DID TO THOSE CHILDREN WHICH LED TO A FINAL RESULT.

IMPACT OF MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRMINGHAM CAMPAIGN AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW OF 1964 CHANGED MANY THINGS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS. A FATHER WAS ABLE TO GO INTO A MCDONALD'S AND BUY HIS DAUGHTER A SANDWICH. A COUPLE COULD STAY AT A HOTEL ANYWHERE IN THE SOUTH, MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.  OVER THE NEXT WEEK DURING YOUR VACATION, THINK ABOUT WHAT THINGS STILL NEED TO BE CHANGED AND WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY ARE.  ADD TO THE LIST THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AS YOU GO THROUGH YOUR DAY AND YOU NOTICE MORE THINGS. THERE ARE MANY REPORTS AND VIDEOS ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. WATCH AS MANY AS YOU CAN.  THEY ARE CLELBRATING THE JOURNEY OF ACTION AND LANGUAGE. THERE ARE FREEDOM SONGS AND POETRY CELEBRATING THE MOVMENT. REMEMBER THE SONG, "WE SHALL OVERCOME." CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS WAS A COLLEAGUE OF MLK.  LOOK FOR VIDEOS WITH HIM. ALL OF THESE WILL GIVE YOU IDEAS ABOUT WHT WAS CHANGED AND WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. WRITE A SONG OR POETRY IF YOU FEEL INSPIRED!

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT

APRIL 9TH WAS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 SIGNED BY CONGRESS.  WE STARTED TO EXPLORE WHAT IS IN THE LAW.  WHAT TENSIONS OR NEGOTIATIONS HELPED MAKE THE LAW HAPPEN?  HOW DO YOU THINK THE LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM BY MLK HELP MAKE THE LAW HAPPEN?  HOW WOULD YOU HONOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT? GIVE YOUR IDEAS.

COMPARISON OF GANDHI AND MARTIN LUTHER KING

Today we created Venn Diagrams comparing and contrasting Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Discuss this quote: "We who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension..." ~MLK~ What does this quote mean?

Both Gandhi and later MLK created tension in their communities to promote change by sit-ins, boycotts and marches.

Give an example of a problem in our society today where we could use direct nonviolent resistance. How could we start?  What steps would you use? How would you create tension?  

GANDHI'S INFLUENCE ON MARTIN LUTHER KING

TODAY WE WERE INTRODUCED TO THE MAJOR INFLUENCE OF GANDHI ON MLK. WE WERE INTRODUCED TO THE NEW WORDS: DILEMMA--HAVING TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO DIFFICULT ALTERNATIVES. WHAT IS THE DILEMMA FOR GANDHI IN INDIA?  WHAT WAS THE DILEMMA FOR MLK? WHAT TWO DIFFICULT CHOICES DID THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE FROM?

JIM CROW LAWS ENFORCE SEGREGATION

We read from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and divided into groups to look at some of the Jim Crow laws in the South.  Each person reported back on some of the laws they noted.  Michael noted that these laws kept people separate and were not good.  Pick a Jim Crow law and talk about how unfair it was to the people in the South.

INJUSTICE ANYWHERE......WHAT WAS THE INJUSTICE IN THE SOUTH?

 "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In paragraph form explain what you think Dr. King's quote means. 

BOMBINGHAM OR BIRMINGHAM?

Dr. King used a non-violent approach during the Civil Rights Movement. Considering racism and segregation going on in American during the 1960’s, do you agree with this approach? In two paragraphs, explain Why or Why not?

HOW DOES A PERSON BECOME AN ACTIVIST?

IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER,  LOOK UP THE MEANING OF OUR VOCABULARY WORDS: ACTIVIST, BOYCOTT, TUTELAGE.  USE THESE WORDS IN A DESCRIPTION OF HOW MLK BECAME AN ACTIVIST.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT MARTIN LUTHER KING'S LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL. FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MLK, WHOM WE HAVE ALL STUDIED MANY TIMES IN THE PAST. WHY WAS HE PUT IN THAT JAIL?