“ We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. ”
Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail (16 April 1963). copy citation
| Author | Martin Luther King, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Source | Letter from a Birmingham Jail |
| Topic | fight freedom oppression |
| Date | 16 April 1963 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html |
Context
“Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!"” source
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!"” source
Meaning and analysis
