More Threats to Justice
People all over the country were inspired when the Montgomery Bus Boycott worked so well. Still, Dr. King knew that it was only the beginning. There were still problems all over the country, and there were still unfair laws in place. Because of the segregation laws, blacks were not allowed inside white restaurants, churches, schools, or libraries. Dr. King and his friends wanted to end segregation everywhere, not just on the Montgomery buses. This time he focused on Birmingham, Alabama.
In the 1960s in America, many people liked to eat at lunch counters. These were small casual restaurants where people would sit on stools and order sandwiches. In Birmingham, Alabama, and other cities in the south, the lunch counters were segregated. If a black person went to a white lunch counter, he or she would be arrested. Dr. King and his friends decided that they would protest this law.
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Protesting With Love
Once again, Dr. King told all of his friends to use nonviolent protest. He knew that if people got into fights, stole things, or hurt people, then they would just get in trouble. Instead, he told people to protest in a peaceful way. This way, people would only see an unfair law that needed to be changed.
A group of black people and a few of their white friends organized Montgomery lunch counter sit-ins. They entered the lunch counter and simply sat down peacefully. Some people yelled at them or threatened them with violence, but they did not yell back. Instead, they sat on their stools and asked politely to be served their lunch. When the police arrived and told them to leave, they still refused to go. Just like Rosa Parks, they didn’t fight or yell. They simply said “no.”
Many people were arrested for breaking the segregation laws. One day, Dr. King himself was arrested. Dr. King and the other protesters were willing to go to jail for what they believed in. While he was in jail, Dr. King wrote a letter called “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In his letter, he told everyone that it is their responsibility to stand up against unjust laws. He also said that when you protest a law, you have to do so with love. Dr. King said that you have to be willing to be arrested for what you believe in.
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The Hope for Change
After this long hard struggle, people finally began to notice a change. All of the businesses in Birmingham were losing money. People all around the country began to notice the troubles in Birmingham. The city leaders agreed to desegregate public places. They also released the jailed prisoners and continued to talk to the black leaders. Still, the struggle wasn’t over. People got angry at the protesters and set off more bombs to try to hurt Dr. King and his family. Dr. King still told everyone to be nonviolent, but he knew that it was time for something so big that the whole country would notice.
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Think About It
In Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, he said,
“One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty.”
What does Dr. King mean about breaking an unjust law lovingly? Why is it important to be able to accept the penalty for breaking a law, even a bad law? What would you do if you wanted to change an unjust law?
