Compare and contrast “Letters From the Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. and the documentary I Am Not Your Negro featuring the words of James Baldwin.

Assignment:

1. Compare and contrast “Letters From the Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. and the documentary I Am Not Your Negro featuring the words of James Baldwin.

2. What can they tell us about contemporary race relations in the United States?

3. As with all of our discussion boards, you are required to thoughtfully reply to at least two of your colleagues.

Recommended Length: 5-8 paragraphs Each paragraph must contain at least 6 sentences

Must include direct references to assigned material within the paragraphs (references are under the source materials)

Note: I am using the language of the source material here (Negro, Black, etc.). If you care to, you may address this in your post.

To help you get started, here are a sample of possible topics:

The degree to which racial inequality has been ingrained in television, movies, music, etc. and the resulting effects.

The role of the White moderate who is apathetic and/or ignorant of racial inequality.

How or why Whites need racial injustice and how this ultimately affects both the Negro and Whites.

The tradeoff between freedom and oppression.

The legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice both in the 1950s and today.

Various tactics used in the struggle for civil rights.

Source Material:

I Am Not Your Negro documentary. Available on Netflix and elsewhere.

“Letters From the Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail [King, Jr.] (upenn.edu)

References of your choice to contemporary race relations. Spike Lee’s Will History Stop Repeating Itself 0:94 sec. https://twitter.com/SpikeLeeJoint/status/1267269978320826368?s=20

Requirements: 5-8 paragraphs