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Martin Luther King Jr Thesis Statement

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A Summary and Analysis of Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ is Martin Luther King’s most famous written text, and rivals his most celebrated speech, ‘ I Have a Dream ’, for its political importance and rhetorical power.

King wrote this open letter in April 1963 while he was imprisoned in the city jail in Birmingham, Alabama. When he read a statement issued in the newspaper by eight of his fellow clergymen, King began to compose his response, initially writing it in the margins of the newspaper article itself.

In ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’, King answers some of the criticisms he had received from the clergymen in their statement, and makes the case for nonviolent action to bring about an end to racial segregation in the South. You can read the letter in full here if you would like to read King’s words before reading on to our summary of his argument, and analysis of the letter’s meaning and significance.

‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’: summary

The letter is dated 16 April 1963. King begins by addressing his ‘fellow clergymen’ who wrote the statement published in the newspaper. In this statement, they had criticised King’s political activities ‘unwise and untimely’. King announces that he will respond to their criticisms because he believes they are ‘men of genuine good will’.

King outlines why he is in Birmingham: as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he was invited by an affiliate group in Birmingham to engage in a non-violent direct-action program: he accepted. When the time came, he honoured his promise and came to Birmingham to support the action.

But there is a bigger reason for his travelling to Birmingham: because injustice is found there, and, in a famous line, King asserts: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ The kind of direction action King and others have engaged in around Birmingham is a last resort because negotiations have broken down and promises have been broken.

When there is no alternative, direct action – such as sit-ins and marches – can create what King calls a ‘tension’ which will mean that a community which previously refused to negotiate will be forced to come to the negotiating table. King likens this to the ‘tension’ in the individual human mind which Socrates, the great classical philosopher, fostered through his teachings.

Next, King addresses the accusation that the action he and others are taking in Birmingham is ‘untimely’. King points out that the newly elected mayor of the city, like the previous incumbent, is in favour of racial segregation and thus wishes to preserve the political status quo so far as race is concerned. As King observes, privileged people seldom give up their privileges voluntarily: hence the need for nonviolent pressure.

King now turns to the question of law-breaking. How can he and others justify breaking the law? He quotes St. Augustine, who said that ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’ A just law uplifts human personality and is consistent with the moral law and God’s law. An unjust law degrades human personality and contradicts the moral law (and God’s law). Because segregation encourages one group of people to view themselves as superior to another group, it is unjust.

He also asserts that he believes the greatest stumbling-block to progress is not the far-right white supremacist but the ‘white moderate’ who are wedded to the idea of ‘order’ in the belief that order is inherently right. King points out both in the Bible (the story of Shadrach and the fiery furnace ) and in America’s own colonial history (the Boston Tea Party ) people have practised a form of ‘civil disobedience’, breaking one set of laws because a higher law was at stake.

King addresses the objection that his actions, whilst nonviolent themselves, may encourage others to commit violence in his name. He rejects this argument, pointing out that this kind of logic (if such it can be called) can be extended to all sorts of scenarios. Do we blame a man who is robbed because his possession of wealth led the robber to steal from him?

The next criticism which King addresses is the notion that he is an extremist. He contrasts his nonviolent approach with that of other African-American movements in the US, namely the black nationalist movements which view the white man as the devil. King points out that he has tried to steer a path between extremists on either side, but he is still labelled an ‘extremist’.

He decides to own the label, and points out that Jesus could be regarded as an ‘extremist’ because, out of step with the worldview of his time, he championed love of one’s enemies.

Other religious figures, as well as American political figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, might be called ‘extremists’ for their unorthodox views (for their time). Jefferson, for example, was considered an extremist for arguing, in the opening words to the Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal. ‘Extremism’ doesn’t have to mean one is a violent revolutionary: it can simply denote extreme views that one holds.

King expresses his disappointment with the white church for failing to stand with him and other nonviolent activists campaigning for an end to racial segregation. People in the church have made a variety of excuses for not supporting racial integration.

The early Christian church was much more prepared to fight for what it believed to be right, but it has grown weak and complacent. Rather than being disturbers of the peace, many Christians are now upholders of the status quo.

Martin Luther King concludes his letter by arguing that he and his fellow civil rights activists will achieve their freedom, because the goal of America as a nation has always been freedom, going back to the founding of the United States almost two centuries earlier. He provides several examples of the quiet courage shown by those who had engaged in nonviolent protest in the South.

‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’: analysis

Martin Luther King’s open letter written from Birmingham Jail is one of the most famous open letters in the world. It is also a well-known defence of the notion of civil disobedience, or refusing to obey laws which are immoral or unjust, often through peaceful protest and collective action.

King answers each of the clergymen’s objections in turn, laying out his argument in calm, rational, but rhetorically brilliant prose. The emphasis throughout is non nonviolent action, or peaceful protest, which King favours rather than violent acts such as rioting (which, he points out, will alienate many Americans who might otherwise support the cause for racial integration).

In this, Martin Luther King was greatly influenced by the example of Mahatma Gandhi , who had led the Indian struggle for independence earlier in the twentieth century, advocating for nonviolent resistance to British rule in India. Another inspiration for King was Henry David Thoreau, whose 1849 essay ‘ Civil Disobedience ’ called for ordinary citizens to refuse to obey laws which they consider unjust.

This question of what is a ‘just’ law and what is an ‘unjust’ law is central to King’s defence of his political approach as laid out in the letter from Birmingham Jail. He points out that everything Hitler did in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s was ‘legal’, because the Nazis changed the laws to suit their ideology and political aims. But this does not mean that what they did was moral : quite the opposite.

Similarly, it would have been ‘illegal’ to come to the aid of a Jew in Nazi Germany, but King states that he would have done so, even though, by helping and comforting a Jewish person, he would have been breaking the law. So instead of the view that ‘law’ and ‘justice’ are synonymous, ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ is a powerful argument for obeying a higher moral law rather than manmade laws which suit those in power.

But ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ is also notable for the thoughtful and often surprising things King does with his detractors’ arguments. For instance, where we might expect him to object to being called an ‘extremist’, he embraces the label, observing that some of the most pious and peaceful figures in history have been ‘extremists’ of one kind of another. But they have called for extreme love, justice, and tolerance, rather than extreme hate, division, or violence.

Similarly, King identifies white moderates as being more dangerous to progress than white nationalists, because they believe in ‘order’ rather than ‘justice’ and thus they can sound rational and sympathetic even as they stand in the way of racial integration and civil rights. As with the ‘extremist’ label, King’s position here may take us by surprise, but he backs up his argument carefully and provides clear reasons for his stance.

There are two main frames of reference in the letter. One is Christian examples: Jesus, St. Paul, and Amos, the Old Testament prophet , are all mentioned, with King drawing parallels between their actions and those of the civil rights activists participating in direct action.

The other is examples from American history: Abraham Lincoln (who issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the American Civil War, a century before King was writing) and Thomas Jefferson (who drafted the words to the Declaration of Independence, including the statement that all men are created equal).

Both Christianity and America have personal significance for King, who was a reverend as well as a political campaigner and activist. But these frames of reference also establish a common ground between both him and the clergymen he addresses, and, more widely, with many other Americans who will read the open letter.

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Martin Luther King Jr.

By: History.com Editors

Updated: January 25, 2024 | Original: November 9, 2009

Martin Luther King Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and all victims of injustice through peaceful protest. He was the driving force behind watershed events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1963 March on Washington , which helped bring about such landmark legislation as the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act . King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and is remembered each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day , a U.S. federal holiday since 1986.

When Was Martin Luther King Born?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia , the second child of Martin Luther King Sr., a pastor, and Alberta Williams King, a former schoolteacher.

Along with his older sister Christine and younger brother Alfred Daniel Williams, he grew up in the city’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, then home to some of the most prominent and prosperous African Americans in the country.

Did you know? The final section of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech is believed to have been largely improvised.

A gifted student, King attended segregated public schools and at the age of 15 was admitted to Morehouse College , the alma mater of both his father and maternal grandfather, where he studied medicine and law.

Although he had not intended to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the ministry, he changed his mind under the mentorship of Morehouse’s president, Dr. Benjamin Mays, an influential theologian and outspoken advocate for racial equality. After graduating in 1948, King entered Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree, won a prestigious fellowship and was elected president of his predominantly white senior class.

King then enrolled in a graduate program at Boston University, completing his coursework in 1953 and earning a doctorate in systematic theology two years later. While in Boston he met Coretta Scott, a young singer from Alabama who was studying at the New England Conservatory of Music . The couple wed in 1953 and settled in Montgomery, Alabama, where King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church .

The Kings had four children: Yolanda Denise King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King and Bernice Albertine King.

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The King family had been living in Montgomery for less than a year when the highly segregated city became the epicenter of the burgeoning struggle for civil rights in America, galvanized by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks , secretary of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP ), refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus and was arrested. Activists coordinated a bus boycott that would continue for 381 days. The Montgomery Bus Boycott placed a severe economic strain on the public transit system and downtown business owners. They chose Martin Luther King Jr. as the protest’s leader and official spokesman.

By the time the Supreme Court ruled segregated seating on public buses unconstitutional in November 1956, King—heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and the activist Bayard Rustin —had entered the national spotlight as an inspirational proponent of organized, nonviolent resistance.

King had also become a target for white supremacists, who firebombed his family home that January.

On September 20, 1958, Izola Ware Curry walked into a Harlem department store where King was signing books and asked, “Are you Martin Luther King?” When he replied “yes,” she stabbed him in the chest with a knife. King survived, and the attempted assassination only reinforced his dedication to nonviolence: “The experience of these last few days has deepened my faith in the relevance of the spirit of nonviolence if necessary social change is peacefully to take place.”

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Emboldened by the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, in 1957 he and other civil rights activists—most of them fellow ministers—founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a group committed to achieving full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest.

The SCLC motto was “Not one hair of one head of one person should be harmed.” King would remain at the helm of this influential organization until his death.

In his role as SCLC president, Martin Luther King Jr. traveled across the country and around the world, giving lectures on nonviolent protest and civil rights as well as meeting with religious figures, activists and political leaders.

During a month-long trip to India in 1959, he had the opportunity to meet family members and followers of Gandhi, the man he described in his autobiography as “the guiding light of our technique of nonviolent social change.” King also authored several books and articles during this time.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

In 1960 King and his family moved to Atlanta, his native city, where he joined his father as co-pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church . This new position did not stop King and his SCLC colleagues from becoming key players in many of the most significant civil rights battles of the 1960s.

Their philosophy of nonviolence was put to a particularly severe test during the Birmingham campaign of 1963, in which activists used a boycott, sit-ins and marches to protest segregation, unfair hiring practices and other injustices in one of America’s most racially divided cities.

Arrested for his involvement on April 12, King penned the civil rights manifesto known as the “ Letter from Birmingham Jail ,” an eloquent defense of civil disobedience addressed to a group of white clergymen who had criticized his tactics.

March on Washington

Later that year, Martin Luther King Jr. worked with a number of civil rights and religious groups to organize the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a peaceful political rally designed to shed light on the injustices Black Americans continued to face across the country.

Held on August 28 and attended by some 200,000 to 300,000 participants, the event is widely regarded as a watershed moment in the history of the American civil rights movement and a factor in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 .

"I Have a Dream" Speech

The March on Washington culminated in King’s most famous address, known as the “I Have a Dream” speech, a spirited call for peace and equality that many consider a masterpiece of rhetoric.

Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial —a monument to the president who a century earlier had brought down the institution of slavery in the United States—he shared his vision of a future in which “this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”

The speech and march cemented King’s reputation at home and abroad; later that year he was named “Man of the Year” by TIME magazine and in 1964 became, at the time, the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize .

In the spring of 1965, King’s elevated profile drew international attention to the violence that erupted between white segregationists and peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, where the SCLC and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) had organized a voter registration campaign.

Captured on television, the brutal scene outraged many Americans and inspired supporters from across the country to gather in Alabama and take part in the Selma to Montgomery march led by King and supported by President Lyndon B. Johnson , who sent in federal troops to keep the peace.

That August, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act , which guaranteed the right to vote—first awarded by the 15th Amendment—to all African Americans.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The events in Selma deepened a growing rift between Martin Luther King Jr. and young radicals who repudiated his nonviolent methods and commitment to working within the established political framework.

As more militant Black leaders such as Stokely Carmichael rose to prominence, King broadened the scope of his activism to address issues such as the Vietnam War and poverty among Americans of all races. In 1967, King and the SCLC embarked on an ambitious program known as the Poor People’s Campaign, which was to include a massive march on the capital.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated . He was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of a motel in Memphis, where King had traveled to support a sanitation workers’ strike. In the wake of his death, a wave of riots swept major cities across the country, while President Johnson declared a national day of mourning.

James Earl Ray , an escaped convict and known racist, pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. He later recanted his confession and gained some unlikely advocates, including members of the King family, before his death in 1998.

After years of campaigning by activists, members of Congress and Coretta Scott King, among others, in 1983 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a U.S. federal holiday in honor of King.

Observed on the third Monday of January, Martin Luther King Day was first celebrated in 1986.

Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes

While his “I Have a Dream” speech is the most well-known piece of his writing, Martin Luther King Jr. was the author of multiple books, include “Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story,” “Why We Can’t Wait,” “Strength to Love,” “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” and the posthumously published “Trumpet of Conscience” with a foreword by Coretta Scott King. Here are some of the most famous Martin Luther King Jr. quotes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

"True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice."

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.”

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’”

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National Archives at New York City

Martin Luther King, Jr.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr., delivered a speech to a massive group of civil rights marchers gathered around the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom brought together the nations most prominent civil rights leaders, along with tens of thousands of marchers, to press the United States government for equality. The culmination of this event was the influential and most memorable speech of Dr. King's career. Popularly known as the "I have a Dream" speech, the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced the Federal government to take more direct actions to more fully realize racial equality.

Mister Maestro, Inc., and Twentieth Century Fox Records Company recorded the speech and offered the recording for sale. Dr. King and his attorneys claimed that the speech was copyrighted and the recording violated that copyright. The court found in favor of Dr. King. Among the papers filed in the case and available at the National Archives at New York City is a deposition given by Martin Luther King, Jr. and signed in his own hand.

Educational Activities

Discussion Questions:

• What was the official name for the event on August 28th, 1963? What does this title tell us about its focus?
• What organizations were involved in the the March on Washington? What does this tell us about the event?
• How does Martin Luther King, Jr. describe his writing process?
• What are the major issues of this case? In other words, what is Martin Luther King, Jr. disputing?
• How does Martin Luther King, Jr. describe his earlier speech on June 23rd in Detroit?
• How does Martin Luther King, Jr. compare and contrast the two "I have a dream..." speeches? What are the major similarities and differences?

Additional Resources from the National Archives concerning Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Official Program for the March on Washington
• The March (from the National Archives YouTube Channel)
• Searching for Martin Luther King, Jr., in the records of the National Archives  
• Records on African Americans at the National Archives
• Teaching With Documents: Court Documents Related to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers

Other Resources on Martin Luther King, Jr.

• The King Center
• National Park Service-National Historic Site
• Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech in its entirety  - National Public Radio (NPR)

Martin Luther King Jr.: a Legacy of Achievements

This essay about Martin Luther King Jr.’s pivotal role in the American civil rights movement. It highlights his leadership in significant events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the historic March on Washington. King’s advocacy led to key legislative victories, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His legacy extends globally, inspiring movements for social justice and nonviolent resistance. Despite facing opposition and personal sacrifices, King’s unwavering commitment to equality continues to shape the fight against injustice today.

How it works

Martin Luther King Jr., a luminary whose utterances and endeavors echo across epochs, endures as one of the most consequential figures of the American civil rights crusade. Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, King etched an enduring impression on American society through his relentless activism, commanding rhetoric, and steadfast dedication to justice. His achievements facilitated the emergence of a fresh paradigm for the United States and the world, anchored in parity and nonviolent opposition.

One of King’s nascent triumphs was his leadership role in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956.

Provoked by the apprehension of Rosa Parks for declining to relinquish her bus seat to a Caucasian, the boycott signified a pivotal juncture in the civil rights tussle. King, then a youthful clergyman in Montgomery, Alabama, was tasked with leading the Montgomery Improvement Association and orchestrating the boycott. For over a year, the African American community in Montgomery eschewed public bus transportation, evincing remarkable resilience and solidarity. Their exertions culminated in a seminal Supreme Court decree that invalidated segregation on public buses, thereby solidifying King’s reputation as a dynamic leader.

King proceeded to co-establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957, an entity dedicated to harnessing the potency of nonviolent dissent to effect societal metamorphosis. The SCLC emerged as a potent force in the civil rights campaign, amplifying King’s message of peaceful resistance and broadening the struggle for racial equality across the American South. Under King’s tutelage, the SCLC orchestrated marches, voter registration initiatives, and other manifestations of nonviolent protest, advocating for integration and rectitude.

One of King’s most conspicuous accomplishments was his role in orchestrating the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Over 250,000 individuals congregated at the Lincoln Memorial to advocate for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It was during this march that King delivered his seminal “I Have a Dream” address, expounding a compelling vision of a future where individuals would “not be evaluated by the color of their skin but by the essence of their character.” This address galvanized support for the civil rights movement and left an enduring impression on the American psyche.

King’s advocacy also played a pivotal role in the enactment of seminal civil rights legislation. His leadership and activism facilitated the momentum requisite for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which proscribed discrimination predicated on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Voting Rights Act of 1965, another epochal triumph, ensued shortly thereafter and sought to eradicate racial bias in voting, notably in the South.

Beyond these legal victories, King championed economic equity and dissented against the Vietnam War. He discerned the interwoven nature of racial and economic disparities and inaugurated the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968 to advocate for economic entitlements for all marginalized factions. This campaign, which aspired to establish a multiracial alliance of disadvantaged individuals, underscored the imperative to redress systemic impoverishment through governmental intervention.

King’s vision transcended geographical confines. In 1964, he attained the distinction of being the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his steadfast commitment to nonviolent resistance. His doctrine of nonviolent protest, influenced by the precepts of Mahatma Gandhi, emerged as a potent archetype for social movements globally. His legacy inspired activists combating apartheid in South Africa, advocating for civil rights in Northern Ireland, and beyond.

Despite encountering vehement opposition and personal sacrifices, King remained unwavering in his quest for equity and parity until his assassination on April 4, 1968. He bequeathed a legacy of achievements that persistently mold the contemporary struggle for civil rights. His endeavors propelled the cause of equity for African Americans and underscored the significance of nonviolent opposition in contesting injustice. King’s accomplishments endure as a testimonial to the transformative potency of fortitude and benevolence, reminding us that substantive metamorphosis can emanate from resolute conviction in a brighter world.

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How To Write 3 Types Of Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is “a short summary of the main idea, purpose, or argument of an essay that usually appears in the first paragraph.” It’s generally only one or two sentences in length.

A strong thesis statement is the backbone of a well-organized paper, and helps you decide what information is most important to include and how it should be presented.

What is a good thesis statement?

This thesis statement, for example, could open a paper on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s importance as a civil rights leader: “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures of the American civil rights movement. His moving speeches and nonviolent protests helped unite a nation divided by race.”

This example lays out the writer’s basic argument (King was an important leader of the American civil rights movement), offers two areas of evidence (his speeches and nonviolent protests), and explains why the argument matters (united a divided nation).

A good thesis statement delivers a clear message about the scope of the topic and the writer’s approach to the subject. In contrast, poor thesis statements fail to take a position, are based solely on personal opinion, or state an obvious truth. For example, “Democracy is a form of government,” is a weak thesis statement because it’s too general, doesn’t adopt a stance, and states a well-known fact that doesn’t need further explanation.

What are the different types of thesis statements?

Thesis statements can be explanatory , argumentative , or analytical . The type of paper determines the form of the thesis statement.

1. Explanatory thesis statement

An explanatory thesis statement is based solely on factual information. It doesn’t contain personal opinions or make claims that are unsupported by evidence. Instead, it tells the reader precisely what the topic will be and touches on the major points that will be explored in the essay. An explanatory thesis statement is sometimes also called an expository thesis statement .

For example: The core components of a healthy lifestyle include a nutritious diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep.

2. Argumentative thesis statement

In an argumentative essay, the writer takes a stance on a debatable topic. This stance, and the claims to back it up, is the argument . Unlike an explanatory thesis statement, an argumentative thesis statement allows the writer to take a position about a subject (e.g., the deeper meaning of a literary text, the best policy towards a social problem) and to convince readers of their stance. The body of the argumentative essay uses examples and other evidence to support the writer’s opinion.

For example: Shakespeares’s Taming of the Shrew uses humor, disguise, and social roles to criticize the lack of power women had in Elizabethan England.

3. Analytical thesis statement

An analytical thesis statement analyzes, or breaks down, an issue or idea into its different parts. Then, it evaluates the topic and clearly presents the order of the analysis to the reader.

For example: The school’s policy to start its school day an hour later revealed three related benefits: students were more alert and attentive in class, had a more positive about school, and performed better in their coursework.

How to write a thesis statement

Writing a thesis statement requires time and careful thought. The thesis statement should flow naturally from research and set out the writer’s discoveries. When composing a thesis statement, make sure it focuses on one main idea that can be reasonably covered within your desired page length. Try not to write about the entire history of America, for example, in a three-page paper.

Although deciding upon a thesis statement can be challenging and time-consuming, a strong thesis statement can make the paper both easier to write and more enjoyable to read. Don’t worry: we’re not going to leave you hanging! We’ve got a whole article to help you write an effective thesis statement here .

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Prophet of Justice:  Book Review of Biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

By robert bradley | may 15, 2024, 23:24 edt.

King:  A Life by Jonathan Egg Macmillan Publishers May 2023 557 pages

Most Americans know something about Martin Luther King Jr. After all, in 1983 a federal holiday was named after him to celebrate his remarkable life and positive impact on the nation. Only one other American has had a federal holiday named after him:  George Washington. Only one other American has comparable yearly honors, through state holidays that mention him explicitly:  Abraham Lincoln.

Why does King deserve a place with Washington, the father of our nation, and Lincoln, who brought the country intact through the Civil War?

Because King was a force for good, a great Christian leader, and, above all, a man of great moral and physical courage. A man who changed the face of America for the better – one of the greatest men this country has ever produced.

But most people don’t the know the trajectory of his life.  Most know about his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, which took place at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. It is part of American folklore.

Some have read  Letter from the Birmingham Jail ,   which King wrote in April 1963 from his jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama after being arrested during a non-violent protest march. We will return to this letter later in this essay, but for now suffice to say it is one of the great documents in American history.

But relatively few people know very much about the details of his life, which ended with his assassination on April 4, 1968, at age 39. Thankfully, Jonathan Eig, the author of  King , has done us a great service by writing a superb biography about him. Eig has used new and untapped historical sources to paint a real-life portrait of MLK in this 557-page book. And he has done so in a way that chronicles not only MLK’s great character attributes but also his weakness and flaws.

MLK was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Both his grandfather and his father were Baptist ministers. His parents were leaders in the black community; his father was pastor of one of the leading African-American churches in Atlanta, Ebeneezer Baptist Church. He was a strong Republican, because the Democratic Party was the party of slavery and had also opposed the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery. Moreover, the Democratic Party had then imposed Jim Crow and segregation on the South for 75 years. It was natural for King’s father to be a Republican.

King was very smart; he graduated from high school at 15 and from Morehouse College – the top college for black students in the South – at the age of 19. Then, he went on to Crozer Theological Seminary near Chester, Pennsylvania. Completing his seminary degree, he came here to Boston, where he received his doctorate of theology at Boston University. In Boston he met his wife-to-be, Coretta, who was studying music at the New England Conservatory. At age 25, he accepted a job as the Senior Pastor of the one of the two leading black churches in Montgomery, Alabama – the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

One of the outstanding things about Eig’s biography of MLK is that it tells the whole truth about MLK – his great courage and other virtues as well as his failings. In this regard, Eig sketches out how MLK, as early as high school, developed a pattern of incorporating parts of other people’s work in his speeches and written work. For a debate in his high school years, he had copied a significant portion of his address from speech by Henry F. Coleman., which was included in a 1928 book called  Fifty Orations That Have Won Prizes in Speaking Contests.  In his speech, MLK never attributed it to the author. He did the same thing again in a paper at Crozer Theological Seminary, and later in his doctoral thesis at Boston University. Scholars at Stanford University announced in 1990 – 22 years after MLK’s death – that he had plagiarized in his thesis from a book called  The Theology of Paul Tillich  as well as from a Boston University dissertation written three years earlier by a student named Jack Boozer. Eig points out that we all have clay feet, and this character trait was one of MLK two main shortfalls.

MLK arrived in Montgomery shortly before the famous bus boycott was launched by Rosa Parks in December 1955.  Shortly after the boycott began, MLK gave a powerful, prophetic speech to thousands of blacks who had assembled in and around the Holt Street Baptist Church, which catapulted him into the leadership of this most famous bus boycott. MLK was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which led the boycott, which lasted for almost a year. It took great moral courage and leadership skills to bring victory in Montgomery. It was during this boycott that MLK went to jail for the first time. In total, he would go to jail 29 times during his brief life – each time out of principle.

Three or four months into the bus boycott, the telephone rang one night at midnight. At the time, MLK was young – only 26, and he was married and had one child. The caller said:  “We are tired of you and your mess now. If you aren’t out of this town in three days, we’re going to blow your brains out and blow up your house.” As MLK told the story later, he said he was terrified. He wanted out – to leave town – to go back to Atlanta. He wanted safety. What did he do?  He fell to his knees and prayed: “Lord, I’m here trying to do what is right. I think that I’m right; I’m weak now; I’m faltering; I’m losing my courage. And I can’t let the people see me like this because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak.”

Then, he said, the Holy Spirit spoke to his soul:  “Martin Luther, stand up for righteousness, stand up for justice, stand up for truth. And lo, I will be with you, even until the end of the world.” He told this story to many people over the years and he always said that these words were the strength that sustained him.

Sometime later, King’s home was in fact dynamited; he was at his church, but his wife and small baby were in the house. By the grace of God, they were not harmed. His father pleaded with him to give up the leadership of the bus boycott, and even got the president of Morehouse College to ask him to stop and come back to Atlanta. But he refused. The homes of several other black leaders were bombed, too.

After he had moved back to Atlanta some years later, MLK was arrested there in 1960 when he joined students in a sit-in at the snack bar at Rich’s. From the snack bar, they went by elevator, Eig recounts, to the sixth-floor Magnolia Room, the store’s most elegant restaurant. When they refused to leave, MLK and 51 others were arrested. Charges were quickly dropped for most of them, but not for MLK. He remained behind bars because, prosecutors claimed, he had violated the terms of his parole for a traffic violation he had received earlier in the year. The judge found MLK guilty of violating parole and sentenced him to four months of hard labor in Georgia’s public works camp, working on a chain gang. He was taken from his cell and driven to Reidsville penitentiary six hours away.

The date was October 25, 1960 – two weeks before the 1960 presidential election. By this time, Richard Nixon had spoken with MLK often, and they had a solid relationship. On the other hand, Jack Kennedy had met MLK twice and had come away unimpressed. Would either of them take the political risk of reaching out to MLK and his family and losing white votes in the South? Some of Nixon’s advisers, including Jackie Robinson, urged him to telephone the jailed MLK or at least talk to the media about this disgrace. Nixon chose not to. Several of Kennedy’s advisers recommended that he take the risk and send a telegram of support to Coretta King. Instead, Kennedy called her and expressed his concern. The call lasted no longer than 90 seconds. But it might have won him the election. Many blacks, including MLK’s father, switched his vote from Republican to Democratic. Kennedy won the popular vote by only about 100,000 votes, and the essential states of Illinois (less than 9,000) and Texas (about 46,000) by a sliver.

King had been president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the leading civil rights organization, for three years – when he moved back to Atlanta. On his staff was Dorothy Cotton, an attractive and ebullient woman a year younger than King. A relationship developed between them. Cotton would later tell friends that she and MLK were “as close and devoted as husband and wife.” She would also say of King in an interview: “He loved his wife, but he also loved some other folks, too.” Eig describes in  King  how MLK’s father, Martin Luther King Sr., was a womanizer, and that King followed the same pattern. Because he traveled so much, he had girlfriends all over the country. Historians have chronicled the various American leaders over the past 100 years, including several presidents, who have shared this character trait as well.

This book review can only chronicle several of the great events in MLK’s life during his remarkable 12 years of civil rights leadership. So we will skip over the famous “I Have a Dream Speech” in Washington in 1963 and the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, about which an excellent movie has been made. Instead let’s focus on Eig’s recounting the story of the Southern Christian Leadership Council’s targeting Birmingham, Alabama for a civil rights action in 1963, because Birmingham was the “South’s toughest city,” with Bull Connors the commissioner of public safety, in charge of the police.

By this time, MLK, who had traveled to India in the 1950s, had adopted and successfully implemented Mohandas Ghandi’s non-violent resistance methods. As a Christian minister, he well understood that the moral high ground was won by non-violent protesters, exercising their constitutional rights. Furthermore, MLK believed that unearned suffering was redemptive. He believed that enduring hardship, especially for a just cause, can lead to personal growth and social progress. And the horrifying scenes on TV of police dogs attacking non-violent protesters certainly ceded the moral high ground to MLK and the civil rights movement across the country.

While in jailed in Birmingham in April 1963, MLK wrote one of the most important documents in American history. On the day of his arrest, a group of white clergymen in Birmingham had issued a statement calling on black citizens to “withdraw support from these demonstrations, and to unite locally in working peacefully for a better Birmingham.” In solitary confinement, King wrote his famous answer. He wrote on margins of newspapers, on napkins, and on toilet paper, and even on the paper in which his sandwiches were wrapped. His lawyer, Clarence Jones, smuggled these scraps of paper out, and they were given to his secretary to type up. Once the pieces of paper had been deciphered and written up, the drafts went back to MLK in jail, who corrected them. The letter ultimately stretched to twenty double-spaced pages. Without access to his books and without help, King called on the best traditions and ideals of America, pointing to great philosophers and invoking St. Paul and the Old Testament prophets Amos and Jeremiah, creating one of the most moving documents ever written.

One of the most quoted lines is:  “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He wrote that the protesters were really standing up for the best in the American dream. A month after he wrote it,  The New York Post  published passages from it, and by June it had been published in full throughout the country. What came to be called  Letter From A Birmingham Jail  should be compulsory reading for every American high school student.

Eig also describes in great detail how MLK from the days of the Montgomery bus boycott had a premonition that he would give his life for the civil rights movement. In Montgomery, he had said, “If someone has to die, let it be me.” King learned that President Kennedy was shot while he was with his wife Coretta at their home in Atlanta. They prayed for Kennedy. When he learned that Kennedy had died, he was silent for a long time and then said, “This is what’s going to happen to me.”

When MLK was at Selma in 1965, the U.S. Attorney General, Nicholas Katzenbach King, called MLK to tell him that the Justice Department had just learned about a failed attempt on his life. He was by now accustomed to death threats, but he said that he has been getting a large number of them recently. By late 1967, in Miami, there were death threats that were so credible that the FBI stood guard constantly at his hotel room for days, and he only went out of his room with security guards.

Several days before MLK went to Memphis to support a strike of sanitation workers in April 1968, a television crew arrived at his house in Atlanta. The interviewer asked him why there was no security at his house. MLK answered: “We don’t have any fences around here for protective purposes. I don’t have any armed bodyguards. I guess that it grows out of a philosophy that I have. I’m absolutely committed to this struggle for racial justice and for brotherhood. I guess every day I live under the threat of death … but I couldn’t allow this possibility to immobilize me. And I think ultimately freedom means fearlessness.”

Memphis had almost as bad a record on segregation as Birmingham. At one point, the strike turned ugly, and rather than being a vindication of King’s non-violent approach, it turned violent, including riots and looting.

On Wednesday, April 3, there was a big rally in the city for the sanitation workers. King was so exhausted that he did not go, letting his colleague, Ralph Abernathy, take his place. But the crowd would not let the event go on without King, so Abernathy called him at the motel and told him that he had to come. King went.

He gave a great speech. He went through the many victories of the Civil Rights Movement, and then he turned to his own mortality. He recounted the time he was stabbed in the chest with a letter opener by an insane black woman in Harlem in 1958, and came inches from death. He talked about the dynamiting and the bomb scare that had taken place just that morning in Atlanta and the death threats right there in Memphis.

But then he said:  “We have some tough times ahead, but it doesn’t really matter because I have been to the mountain top. I would like to live a long life, but I am not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And God has allowed me to go to the mountain. And I have looked over. And I have seen the Promised Land. And I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

The next day, Thursday, April 4, King was on the balcony of his motel when he was shot by an assassin. He died a short time later, at age 39.

What was he talking about when he referred to the mountain top? He was referring to Moses, who having led his people in the wilderness for 40 years, was not allowed by God to come into the Promised Land. But God did allow him to go to Mount Nebo and look over into the Promised land where the Israelites would go under Joshua.

King was a heroic Christian leader with a great vision and enormous courage. Like Washington and Lincoln, he changed America for the better. Also like them, he is quoted often by “the better angels of our nature.” One of his greatest lines comes from a speech he gave in Montgomery at the conclusion of the March from Selma: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

Just so, the arc has bent towards justice in America — sometimes slowly and sometimes quickly. May the march towards racial justice in this land press onward.

Robert H. Bradley is Chairman of Bradley, Foster & Sargent Inc., a $6.7 billion wealth management firm that has offices in Hartford, Connecticut and Wellesley, Massachusetts.  Read other articles by him  here .

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Dreams and Declarations: Five Powerful Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

F rom the middle of the 1950s until his passing in 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist clergyman and civil rights activist, played a significant role in the American civil rights movement. Atlanta, Georgia, was the place of his birth on January 15, 1929. Because of his Christian views, he is well-recognized for using nonviolent civil disobedience to advance civil rights. His lectures and sermons are still studied and appreciated today since he is considered one of America's best orators.

One of King's most famous speeches, the "I Have a Dream" speech, was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the speech, he called for an end to racism in the United States and for civil and economic rights for African Americans . The speech was a defining moment of the civil rights movement and is considered to be one of the greatest speeches in American history.

After King's assassination in 1968, a campaign was launched to make his birthday, January 15, a national holiday . Civil rights organizations, labor unions, and religious groups led the campaign. However, the campaign faced significant opposition, with many lawmakers arguing that King's holiday would be too costly and that he did not deserve the honor. Despite this opposition, the campaign continued, and on November 2, 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday, which was first observed on January 20, 1986.

The holiday is now celebrated across the United States and is seen as a day to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for civil rights. Many people take the day to reflect on his teachings and to volunteer in their communities in honor of his service and dedication to social justice. It is a day to remember the sacrifices he made for the rights and freedom of African Americans and to honor his legacy by continuing the fight for equality and civil rights for all people.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an incredible leader and an influential figure in American history. His sermons and speeches inspire people to this day, and his birthday, January 15, has become a national holiday to commemorate his life and legacy. His teachings and nonviolent approach to civil rights have impacted American society and the world. His birthday serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality and the importance of continuing to work toward a just and equitable society. Below are five impactful quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.

• "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."
• "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
• "A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
• "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
• "I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

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Commencement 2024: What You Need to Know

Don’t be intimidated by all of the events surrounding graduation: here’s what you need to know about BU’s 151st All-University Commencement.

Details about parking, transportation, security, and more

Rich barlow, janice checchio.

Degree requirements completed? Check. Hotel rooms booked? Check. Cap and gown reserved? Uh-oh … Boston University has done this 150 times before, but this year’s All-University Commencement is a first for the Class of 2024 and you don’t want to be caught flat-footed. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions and must-know topics about the big send-off on Sunday, May 19, the Marsh Chapel Baccalaureate earlier that day, and individual school and college convocations. You can find more information on the University’s Commencement website .

Times and places?

Commencement begins on Sunday at 1 pm on Nickerson Field , rain or shine. The guest seating areas open at 11 am. There are no tickets or guest limits for the Commencement or individual school and college convocations. (Tickets may be required for certain Commencement-related celebratory events and activities .) Seating is first-come, first-served. The event will last about two hours. An estimated 20,000 guests are expected to join the approximately 3,700 graduates expected on the field.

Graduates should plan to arrive by 12:15 pm at Harry Agganis Way to reach their designated school or college line-up area so the academic procession onto Nickerson Field can begin on time. Those arriving after 12:30 cannot be guaranteed to walk with their school or college. Latecomers will walk together at the end of the academic procession and sit together as a group on Nickerson. University marshals will not be able to direct latecomers to their proper school or college area.

The interdenominational Baccalaureate service will be held in Marsh Chapel (735 Commonwealth Ave.) at 11 am Sunday and will run approximately an hour. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Both the Baccalaureate service and Commencement will be livestreamed on the Commencement website. Find a listing of times and places for individual BU school and college convocation events, military commissionings, and affinity group graduation events here .

Who gets to march?

Any student who earned a degree in August 2023, January 2024, and May 2024. Most BU schools and colleges permit those who will graduate this August to walk or participate in the All-University Commencement and/or in their school or college convocation; however, some schools, colleges, and programs do not. If you are not sure of your eligibility to participate, you should contact your school or college commencement coordinator .

What am I allowed to bring to the Baccalaureate, Commencement, and convocation ceremonies?

Only small and average-size handbags, purses, and camera bags will be allowed (no large totes, oversized purses, backpacks, large diaper bags, or messenger bags). Bag size is limited to 12″ x 12″ x 6″. All bags will be physically inspected prior to entry. No other bags, gift bags, wrapped gifts, packages, briefcases, backpacks, or luggage will be allowed in a Commencement or convocation venue, including Nickerson Field. Bomb-detection dogs from the Boston Police Department will sweep specific venues and open areas, including self-check bag storage and checkpoint areas. Graduates and faculty should carry their robes into event venues and then dress in designated lineup areas.

Placards, banners, bullhorns, noise makers, beach balls, alcohol and full-sized flags are not permitted. Visit this website for more information about what isn’t permitted on Nickerson Field.

Will there be special security arrangements in the event of protests connected to the ongoing graduate students’ strike or the Middle East conflict?

“The area of 278 Babcock Street”—New Balance Field—“is the designated location for peaceful protest,” says Robert Lowe, chief of the Boston University Police Department . He adds that any Commencement attendees “who engage in disruptive activity will be provided with a verbal advisement to discontinue their disruption. Attendees who continue to engage in disruptive activity will be removed from the venue and could be subject to administrative sanctions and/or criminal charges. Attendees are encouraged to call (617) 353-2121 to report suspicious activity and/or file a police report.”

“The Boston University Police Department is working closely with local and state police agencies to support security plans for Commencement,” Lowe says. “There will be uniformed and nonuniformed resources assigned to ensure public safety.”

What about parking?

For families and guests who plan to drive to campus, all parking lots and garages will be open and available free of charge throughout the weekend. Any vehicles left overnight should park in Warren Towers Garage . For employees and volunteers who must drive to campus, please use parking facilities east of the BU Bridge, to allow families and guests to park in West Campus lots in the area of Nickerson Field.

On Commencement Sunday, the Langsam Garage will be reserved for pre-authorized guests with accessible parking needs.

All lots throughout BU have accessible parking for those with disabilities. Requests for accessible parking, seating, and individual services were due May 10; every effort will be made to provide accommodations requested after then, but they cannot be guaranteed.

For anyone parking a distance from their destination, Commencement shuttles will be running throughout the day, with signed stops along Comm Ave.

I’ll take public transit, please.

Boston’s MBTA Green Line (B) and 57 b us service will be operating on a normal Sunday schedule. In addition to its regularly scheduled summer weekday and Saturday service, the Boston University Shuttle (the BUS) will offer special Commencement Shuttles from Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19.

What about ridesharing?

Those using rideshare services or being dropped off for the All-University Commencement are asked to instruct their driver to drop them off at 250 Pleasant St., Brookline Mass., in an effort to avoid traffic jams on Commonwealth Avenue. This location is across the street from the Agganis Way entrance to Nickerson Field.

After the ceremony, for those being picked up or those picking up their party, please proceed to Sullivan Tire at 950 Commonwealth Ave . Limited parking will be available, and any cars left unattended will be towed as parking is strictly forbidden in this lot. Please wait with your car until your party crosses the street after Commencement.

Who will I hear and see at the podium?

The Commencement speaker is journalist David Grann (GRS’94), author of the best-selling Killers of the Flower Moon and The Wager, who will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Joining him for honorary degrees: Claudia Goldin, Nobel laureate and Harvard economist, Doctor of Laws; Kenneth Feld (Questrom’70), CEO of Feld Entertainment, Doctor of Humane Letters; and Walter Fluker , Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Ethical Leadership at the School of Theology, Doctor of Laws. Fluker will deliver this year’s Baccalaureate address.

The All-University Commencement’s student speaker is Michael Arellano (CAS’24, GRS’24).

About avoiding that cap-and-gown goof…?

Graduation garb is available for purchase—or rental, for doctoral degree recipients—at the Barnes & Noble at Boston University, 910 Comm Ave. The store will be open extended hours during Commencement weekend for any last-minute needs: 9 am to 8 pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 9 am to 7 pm Sunday.

Find more information about Commencement here

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Senior Writer

Rich Barlow is a senior writer at BU Today and  Bostonia  magazine. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a former  Boston Globe  religion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. Profile

Associate Creative Director, Photography

Janice Checchio has been an art director, editorial designer, photo editor, photographer, or some combination of the aforementioned for 12 years. After seven years at The Boston Phoenix and Stuff Boston Magazine , she returned to direct photography at Boston University, where she had received a BFA in Graphic Design. She lives a photo–ready life in Dorchester with her husband, son, and way too many pairs of glasses. Profile

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Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There is 1 comment on Commencement 2024: What You Need to Know

Does “the weekend” for parking include Thursday night?

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