一封来自伯明翰监狱的信Letter-from-a-Birmingham-Jail

1/24LetterfromaBirminghamJail16April1963MyDearFellowClergymen:WhileconfinedhereintheBirminghamcityjail,Icameacrossyourrecentstatementcallingmypresentactivitiesunwiseanduntimely.SeldomdoIpausetoanswercriticismofmyworkandideas.IfIsoughttoanswerallthecriticismsthatcrossmydesk,mysecretarieswouldhavelittletimeforanythingotherthansuchcorrespondenceinthecourseoftheday,andIwouldhavenotimeforconstructivework.ButsinceIfeelthatyouaremenofgenuinegoodwillandthatyourcriticismsaresincerelysetforth,IwanttotrytoansweryourstatementinwhatIhopewillbepatientandreasonableterms.IthinkIshouldindicatewhyIamhereinBirmingham,sinceyouhavebeeninfluencedbytheviewwhicharguesagainstoutsiderscomingin.IhavethehonorofservingaspresidentoftheSouthernChristianLeadershipConference,anorganizationoperatingineverysouthernstate,withheadquartersinAtlanta,Georgia.WehavesomeeightyfiveaffiliatedorganizationsacrosstheSouth,andoneofthemistheAlabamaChristianMovementforHumanRights.Frequentlywesharestaff,educationalandfinancialresourceswithouraffiliates.SeveralmonthsagotheaffiliatehereinBirminghamaskedustobeoncalltoengageinanonviolentdirectactionprogramifsuchweredeemednecessary.Wereadilyconsented,andwhenthe2/24hourcameweliveduptoourpromise.SoI,alongwithseveralmembersofmystaff,amherebecauseIwasinvitedhere.IamherebecauseIhaveorganizationaltieshere.Butmorebasically,IaminBirminghambecauseinjusticeishere.JustastheprophetsoftheeighthcenturyB.C.lefttheirvillagesandcarriedtheirthussaiththeLordfarbeyondtheboundariesoftheirhometowns,andjustastheApostlePaullefthisvillageofTarsusandcarriedthegospelofJesusChristtothefarcornersoftheGrecoRomanworld,soamIcompelledtocarrythegospeloffreedombeyondmyownhometown.LikePaul,ImustconstantlyrespondtotheMacedoniancallforaid.Moreover,Iamcognizantoftheinterrelatednessofallcommunitiesandstates.IcannotsitidlybyinAtlantaandnotbeconcernedaboutwhathappensinBirmingham.Injusticeanywhereisathreattojusticeeverywhere.Wearecaughtinaninescapablenetworkofmutuality,tiedinasinglegarmentofdestiny.Whateveraffectsonedirectly,affectsallindirectly.Neveragaincanweaffordtolivewiththenarrow,provincialoutsideagitatoridea.AnyonewholivesinsidetheUnitedStatescanneverbeconsideredanoutsideranywherewithinitsbounds.YoudeplorethedemonstrationstakingplaceinBirmingham.Butyourstatement,Iamsorrytosay,failstoexpressasimilarconcernfortheconditionsthatbroughtaboutthedemonstrations.Iamsurethatnoneofyouwouldwanttorestcontentwiththesuperficialkindofsocialanalysisthatdealsmerelywitheffectsanddoesnotgrapplewithunderlyingcauses.ItisunfortunatethatdemonstrationsaretakingplaceinBirmingham,butitisevenmoreunfortunatethatthecity'swhitepower3/24structurelefttheNegrocommunitywithnoalternative.Inanynonviolentcampaigntherearefourbasicsteps:collectionofthefactstodeterminewhetherinjusticesexist;negotiation;selfpurification;anddirectaction.WehavegonethroughallthesestepsinBirmingham.Therecanbenogainsayingthefactthatracialinjusticeengulfsthiscommunity.BirminghamisprobablythemostthoroughlysegregatedcityintheUnitedStates.Itsuglyrecordofbrutalityiswidelyknown.Negroeshaveexperiencedgrosslyunjusttreatmentinthecourts.TherehavebeenmoreunsolvedbombingsofNegrohomesandchurchesinBirminghamthaninanyothercityinthenation.Thesearethehard,brutalfactsofthecase.Onthebasisoftheseconditions,Negroleaderssoughttonegotiatewiththecityfathers.Butthelatterconsistentlyrefusedtoengageingoodfaithnegotiation.Then,lastSeptember,cametheopportunitytotalkwithleadersofBirmingham'seconomiccommunity.Inthecourseofthenegotiations,certainpromisesweremadebythemerchants--forexample,toremovethestores'humiliatingracialsigns.Onthebasisofthesepromises,theReverendFredShuttlesworthandtheleadersoftheAlabamaChristianMovementforHumanRightsagreedtoamoratoriumonalldemonstrations.Astheweeksandmonthswentby,werealizedthatwewerethevictimsofabrokenpromise.Afewsigns,brieflyremoved,returned;theothersremained.Asinsomanypastexperiences,ourhopeshadbeenblasted,andtheshadowofdeepdisappointmentsettleduponus.Wehadnoalternativeexceptto4/24preparefordirectaction,wherebywewouldpresentourverybodiesasameansoflayingourcasebeforetheconscienceofthelocalandthenationalcommunity.Mindfulofthedifficultiesinvolved,wedecidedtoundertakeaprocessofselfpurification.Webeganaseriesofworkshopsonnonviolence,andwerepeatedlyaskedourselves:Areyouabletoacceptblowswithoutretaliating?Areyouabletoenduretheordealofjail?WedecidedtoscheduleourdirectactionprogramfortheEasterseason,realizingthatexceptforChristmas,thisisthemainshoppingperiodoftheyear.Knowingthatastrongeconomic-withdrawalprogramwouldbethebyproductofdirectaction,wefeltthatthiswouldbethebesttimetobringpressuretobearonthemerchantsfortheneededchange.ThenitoccurredtousthatBirmingham'smayoralelectionwascomingupinMarch,andwespeedilydecidedtopostponeactionuntilafterelectionday.WhenwediscoveredthattheCommissionerofPublicSafety,EugeneBullConnor,hadpiledupenoughvotestobeintherunoff,wedecidedagaintopostponeactionuntilthedayaftertherunoffsothatthedemonstrationscouldnotbeusedtocloudtheissues.Likemanyothers,wewaitedtoseeMr.Connordefeated,andtot