Letter From Birmingham Jail

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What was segregation in the US? Where was it lawfully allowed? What were the historical roots of segregation? What were some examples of segregation in public life?

Teaching Suggestion: Discussion and investigation for this question provides historical context regarding the era in which King was actively working as a civil rights leader. This topic connects to US History classes covering the Civil Rights Era. Students should be able to note which demographics of people were subject to the segregation laws that began just after the American Civil War (Black Americans and other people of color), in what states and regions segregation laws existed, the roots of segregation (former slave states and Jim Crow laws), and how segregation affected the public sphere (e.g., with public places like bathrooms, drinking fountains, and restaurants).

• This summary on “Jim Crow Laws” from Britannica provides a succinct overview of the causes and effects of these laws on southern US states.
• This article from History.com on “Segregation in the United States” provides a thorough overview of continued segregation post-Civil War.

Short Activity

Working in groups, select one civil rights leader (other than King) to research. What is this person’s background? For what actions, contributions, or opinions is this person well-known regarding the Civil Rights Era? What groups or organizations did they lead or join? Did they produce any famous works (such as letters, speeches, or essays)? Share your findings with your class, along with any interesting visuals, audio material, or videos.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity will help to contextualize for students the time period and concerns King addressed. While King is one of the most notable civil rights activists, his work was complemented by other individuals in the same era who fought for similar rights. Students may find the list noted on the link helpful in selecting an activist. This activity also allows students to practice their public speaking skills.

• Information on Civil Rights Leaders from The NAACP discusses notable individuals’ contributions in the Civil Rights Era.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Nonviolence is a tenet of King’s work; his writings were inspired by other nonviolent leaders including Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi. After reviewing the writings of Thoreau and Gandhi, compare the different approaches to nonviolence between these leaders. What is your opinion of their approaches? Compose a journal entry or brief passage in which you discuss your reactions to these leaders’ ideas and methods with rationale.

Teaching Suggestion: This question relates to the theme of Nonviolent Direct Action Versus Violence. If you extend the prompt with discussion, students might work in a large group or in small groups to compare the different approaches to non-violence in the texts. Venn diagrams or other graphic organizers might be utilized to catalog discussion points and track observations to spark a larger discussion. The texts below can be used as representative works of Thoreau and Gandhi.

• “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau
• “Civil Disobedience” on SuperSummary
• Hind Swaraj by Mahatma Gandhi
• Hind Swaraj on SuperSummary

Differentiation Suggestion: Learners who struggle with reading comprehension of complex texts might utilize summaries or supplied outlines of the content of Thoreau’s and Gandhi’s work.