Letter From Birmingham Jail Lesson Plan

What effect does the salutation have on the reader?

It is important that King chose to respond to the clergymen's criticism with a letter and not an essay. With a letter, King is making a personal appeal. He is talking directly to an audience of a known, finite number of individuals, who are respected members of the Alabama community. When he says "my dear fellow clergymen," King also reminds all readers that he is a member of the clergy. He is not just an "agitator" or a troublemaker. He presents himself as a colleague instead of an enemy.

One of the most famous quotes from this letter is, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Paraphrase this quote...