46 pages 1 hour read

Martin Luther King Jr.

Letter From Birmingham Jail

Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1963

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Essay Questions

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. In response to living in a segregated US society, King affirms that supporting The Interrelatedness of All Humanity should be the most important goal for institutions, including churches. 

  • What is the “white church’s” response to segregation in general? (topic sentence)
  • Provide examples from the text to support your answer and discuss evidence of King’s tone on the topic.
  • In your concluding sentences, briefly sum up what King says the “white church” can do better to support The Interrelatedness of All Humanity.

2. King references the church’s changing role in relation to political and societal issues throughout history.

  • How has the relationship between Politics and the Church changed over time? (topic sentence)
  • Discuss the examples King uses in his letter that support your topic sentence.

Related Titles

By Martin Luther King Jr.

Plot Summary

logo

A Testament of Hope

Martin Luther King Jr.

A Testament of Hope

Martin Luther King Jr.

Study Guide

logo

I Have A Dream Speech

Martin Luther King Jr.

I Have A Dream Speech

Martin Luther King Jr.

Study Guide

logo

I've Been to the Mountaintop

Martin Luther King Jr.

I've Been to the Mountaintop

Martin Luther King Jr.

Plot Summary

logo

Stride Toward Freedom

Martin Luther King Jr.

Stride Toward Freedom

Martin Luther King Jr.

Study Guide

logo

Where Do We Go From Here

Martin Luther King Jr.

Where Do We Go From Here

Martin Luther King Jr.

Study Guide

logo

Why We Can't Wait

Martin Luther King Jr.

Why We Can't Wait

Martin Luther King Jr.