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Today in History: Martin Luther King Jr. defends nonviolent resistance in letter

4/16/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. penned the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in response to white clergymen criticizing his activism. In the letter, he argued for the moral duty to disobey unjust laws and emphasized that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," reinforcing the necessity of nonviolent resistance in the civil rights movement.

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Story summary

On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. penned the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in response to white clergymen criticizing his activism. In the letter, he argued for the moral duty to disobey unjust laws and emphasized that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," reinforcing the necessity of nonviolent resistance in the civil rights movement.