Letter from Birmingham Jail The Events Leading Up to MLK’s Arrest

The Planning Committee January 1963, outside of Savannah, GA MLK, currently leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, presides over a meeting of 11 activists Goal: To attack segregation in Birmingham Project “C” (Confrontation) Leaders: Fred Shuttlesworth, Wyatt Walker

Project C Strategy: To put economic pressure on Birmingham merchants When? During Easter, the second biggest shopping season of the year The plan: Nightly meetings, organize small-scale sit-ins Organize boycotts and larger demonstrations Defy segregation laws, result in mass arrests Call on support from outside of Birmingham, cripple the city under the combined pressure of publicity, boycotts, and overflowing jails They say they need 1000 people willing to go to jail for 5-6 days each Ask students, “ What are the strengths and weaknesses of this plan? Is this going to work?”

MLK: People Could Die “There are eleven people here assessing the type of enemy we’re going to face. I have to tell you in my judgment; some of the people sitting here today will not come back alive from this campaign. And I want you to think about it.” - MLK

Project C is Launched April 3, 1963 – Day 1 of Project C 65 activists march silently to 5 department stores and sit at lunch counters there At 4 of the 5 stores, the waitresses simply say the store was closing, turn out the lights, and leave No stories in the local or national news No one wants to go to jail RFK: “ill-timed” campaign EPIC FAIL! Ask students, “Would you call off Project C”? What would you do to change the plan?

The Injunction April 10, 1963 Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor and Governor of Alabama George Wallace pass an injunction: “No parading, demonstrating, boycotting, trespassing, and picketing” MLK denounces the injunction as unconstitutional and refuses to abide by it Ask students, “In what ways does this violate the Bill of Rights?” and “Could this actually be an advantage to you plan?” Talk about Federalism.

Good Friday, April 12 Tell students about how the injunction would take a long time to pass through the courts, so they would have to stay in jail until it was settled. Ask students to describe the photo. Focus on what MLK is wearing. Why did they dress like this? How many people are participating? How many people are watching? Ask for details. NAACP lawyer: injunction unconstitutional, but activists can’t be kept out of jail MLK’s “faith act”: he defies the injunction 40 men agree to get arrested with him; 1000 show up to watch

Off to Jail BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 12 – OFF TO JAIL – Integration leaders Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, left, and Martin Luther King, right, are taken in tow by policeman as they led a line of demonstrators into the business section of Birmingham, Ala., today. They were jailed along with dozens of others. The marchers wore old clothes to dramatize a store boycott during the Easter season. Ask students to describe the photo. What is happening in the foreground? What is happening in the background? What is MLK wearing? How is he being treated? What happens next?