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1963
Letter
Civil Rights Era
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr.
"We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands..."
About this source
Written April 1963 in a Birmingham jail cell, King's letter defends nonviolent direct action and grounds the movement's demands in 'the sacred heritage of our nation' — the Declaration's promise of equality and the American prophetic tradition.
Why it matters for the project
From a jail cell, King anchors the struggle for justice in the nation's founding ideals.