Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Martin Luther King, Jr., Eight White Religious Leaders, and the "Letter from Birmingham Jail"

by Bass, S. Jonathan; King, Martin Luther, Jr.

• ISBN13: 9780807126554
• ISBN10: 0807126551
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-02-01
• Publisher: Louisiana State Univ Pr

Summary

Bass's study of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" of 1963 argues that eight local clergymen opposed King's methods of organizing a civil rights march, and King's release of the letter, initially addressed to the clergymen but delivered instead to the media, was conceived as a public relations tool to reach a national audience. 15 halftones.

Author Biography

S. Jonathan Bass is assistant professor of history at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Abbreviations Used in the Notes	xv
Introduction	1	(8)
``Aristocracy of the Damn Fools''	9	(19)
In the South By and By	28	(18)
Turning the Corner	46	(24)
``Grand Fraternity of the Harassed''	70	(17)
Eyes on the Press: Birmingham and the SCLC	87	(23)
The Prison Epistle	110	(21)
Gospel of Publicity	131	(32)
``Let It Alone''	163	(12)
``This City Isn't Dead Yet''	175	(33)
The Unpardonable Sin	208	(16)
Conclusion	224	(9)
Appendix 1 The White Ministers' Law and Order Statement, January 16, 1963: ``An Appeal for Law and Order and Common Sense''	233	(2)
Appendix 2 The White Ministers' Good Friday Statement, April 12, 1963	235	(2)
Appendix 3 A Documentary Edition of the ``Letter from Birmingham Jail''	237	(20)
Appendix 4 The White Ministers' Anti-Violence Statement, September 7, 1963	257	(2)
Notes	259	(36)
Bibliography	295	(18)
Index	313