One of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous texts, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," was written during his time in prison after leading a non-violent civil rights riot in Birmingham, Alabama. He writes this letter to the clergymen in an attempt to bring awareness of how badly African-Americans at the time were being treated at that there needs to be change. Through references to expert testimony, Martin Luther King Jr. defines what a “just right” is to portray that the African-American community is not receiving the opportunities, facilities, and lifestyles that they deserve.
In order to concretely define between a just and unjust right, Martin Luther King Jr. references St. Thomas Aquinas, who defines an unjust right as, “a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.” St. Thomas Aquinas, a philosopher and theologian, helps the audience find credence in King’s argument. Unlike King, who is simply a pastor with no experience in philosophy, Aquinas is a philosopher, validating the statements that he makes about the definition of an unjust right. Not only does King reference one person--he goes on to reference two more men: Michael Buber, Jewish philosopher; and Paul Tillich, one of the most well-known philosophers and Lutheran theologians. Referencing two other philosophers, King establishes the fact that segregation is “a sin” and falls under the category of an “unjust” right. By allowing his audience to find credence in his claims, King is able to gain trust from the audience, building up his credibility throughout the text.
Although many other people at the time feared the government and clergymen, Martin Luther King Jr. stepped up and fought for his people’s rights by writing such a letter while contained in prison. He used references to expert testimony to establish his credibility as he protests for just rights for African-Americans.
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