Dr. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. In King's essay, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King brilliantly employs the use of several rhetorical strategies that are critical to successfully influencing critics of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. King's eloquent appeal to the logical, emotional, and, above all, moral and spiritual sides of his audience serves to make "Letter From Birmingham Jail" one of the most moving and persuasive literary pieces of the 20th century. In the spring of 1963, King's campaign to end segregation at lunch counters and segregated hiring practices attracted nationwide attention when police hurled dogs and fire hoses at peaceful protesters. King was jailed along with a large number of his supporters, including hundreds of schoolchildren. When white clergy, strongly opposed to King's position on nonviolent passive resistance, issued a statement urging blacks not to support the demonstrations, King wrote a remarkably eloquent letter expounding his philosophy of nonviolence and disobedience. In “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” King expresses his extreme disappointment in the criticism of his leadership by Alabama clergy, his understanding of why oppressed people must resist their oppression, and his deep belief in fundamental decency of all Americans. Birmingham Jail” King demonstrates exceptional literary skill through his mastery of several rhetorical strategies to persuade. King's strategy for influencing his audience in “Letter From Birmingham Jail” involves a three-pronged approach. In an effort to influence his fellow priests, King argues his position with passion and conviction while respectfully appealing to the logical, emotional, and spiritual psyche of his critics. King's first attempt to reach his reader is through his appeal to their logic or reasoning. He does so by presenting a direct relationship between the reasoning in support of his position against segregation and the argument in favor of the resulting actions of civil disobedience by those oppressed by it. This approach is most evident when King motivates his statement: "I have almost come to the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great obstacle in his path to freedom is not the white citizen's councilor or the Klu Klux Klanner, but the white moderate. ....middle sheet...l, I must constantly respond to Macedonia's call for help" (160). Petitioning the moral conscience of readers, King believes that right-minded individuals are more likely to take action against oppression if asked to question their own ethics. Through his references to history, his elegant prose, and his thoughtful analysis of the plight of blacks, his essay reveals a writer of extraordinary skill and intelligence. His rhetorical approach in detailing the disparity of the oppressed, courageous, and nonviolent people of his era demonstrates that the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is undoubtedly one of the most important documents of the civil rights movement. King's ability to communicate the plight of the underprivileged in American society helped galvanize a generation and change the social fabric of an entire nation. Works Cited King Jr., Martin L. “Letter From Birmingham Jail.” A world of ideas. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 1998. 153-69Zepp, Ira G., Jr. The Social Vision of Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Carlson Publishing Inc., 1989. 123-47Walton, Hanes Jr. The Political Philosophy of, 1971