's "Letter from Birmingham Jail," was very persuasive to a variety .
I believe that because not only did he directly address the writers of the newspaper, but included African Americans with their struggles to gain acceptance. In addition, this writing is persuasive in the amount of examples and situations described by King. These examples give him credibility as an intelligent man when he cites from history without the use of history books.
Martin Luther King Jr directed his letter to the white clergyman of Birmingham, in a response to their newspaper article criticizing him for his actions. At the beginning, King states that he is in Birmingham for three reasons: he was invited, he had "organizational ties," and finally because of the injustice that was in Birmingham.
King builds his ethos by stating he is just like the ancient prophets, going to where the injustice is and carrying the word of freedom with him. With this he is reaching to the religious part of the clergymen.
King uses historical examples to prove his point, using logos which most can understand and giving examples for most African Americans understand. He discusses Nebuchadnezzar, and how people in that time refused to obey his laws because they were unjust, just as King did in Birmingham. Socrates, the Boston Tea Party, and early Christians who gave their lives for what they believed in, these events gave King the edge he needed to be so persuasive. Now he isn't like all the other famous historical figures. However, he addresses his "Negro brothers" in paragraph 14, when he describes what it is like to tell your children that they can't go somewhere because they are black, or what it is like to watch as your family is beaten in front of your eyes. He is directing this at the black community of Birmingham by letting them know that he understands how wrong it is to be kept from some place just because of your color.
