Sunday, November 29, 2009
Inspired by Letter from Birmingham Jail
I just read The Letter from Birmingham Jail again (Martin Luther King Jr, 1963). I have always been so fascinated by the power of non-cooperation/non-violent resistance in the Civil Rights Movement and the Indian Independence Movement. Gandhi and King both have been major players in shaping my world view. I know that as teachers we will have the opportunity to infuse our particular interests into our classes, but how great would it be to teach a whole unit on Satyagraha (or even better, a semester long class). Does anyone have any ideas how Gandhian philosophy can be incorporated into the existing social studies curriculum?
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Just in case you are ever asked to teach an English class on punctuation, I would highly recommend using Letter from Birmingham Jail as a perfect example of how a semi-colon can be used as a rhetorical device to enhance one's statement. I recommend removing the punctuation from a section of the letter, and then asking students to fill in the punctuation in groups. Whether they decide to use semi-colons is entirely up to them, and chances are most students won't! However when they are finished, you can show them how Dr. King used them, and how they added to the strength of his letter. Below are a couple of excerpts that I have used in the past. The letter is a great example of a source that can be used in a variety of diffent ways and can tie together different subject areas that you are passionate about.
“I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed nonviolent Negroes I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys if you were to observe them as they did on two occasions refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department” - (167)
“How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust a just law is a manmade code that squares with the moral law or the law of God an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law to put it in terms of St. Thomas Aquinas an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law any law that uplifts human personality is just any law that degrades human personality is unjust” - (159)
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