While living in this world, most people are guided by their own life principles.

These principles

usually stem from the person’s individual interest. As a principle, some people like to read, some

others like to watch movie, some are interested to chat, and some might do a combination of two

or so. The book why we can’t wait by Martin Luther king doesn’t only interests people to read, but

also changes one’s view regarding reading behavior. During civil rights movement, in 1963,

Martin Luther king and other black leaders came together and decided to put their efforts to combat

civil rights violation on the African Americans. They targeted Birmingham, Alabama: the most

segregated city in America, to undertake their mission. In this regard, the strategy (includes direct

action, lunch counter sit-ins, massive marches and numerous boycotts) was framed and the

movement was commenced. Because of this movement, King and others were arrested and put in

to jail. While in jail king wrote a letter in response to the local newspapers that urges the black

people to withdraw from the demonstrations and criticize the king. Thus, the book why we can’t

wait incorporated the King’s letter and overall situation of Birmingham civil rights movement.

Over the course of reading the book, among the various things that attracted my attention, the

explanation given about the feeling of negro’s self-reliance, strategies of nonviolent resistance,

wicked scheme of the dominant class, and history of major freedom fighters are the major one.

African American come across many ups and downs. They have passed through everlasting suffer

and deaths. To escape from the brutal situation, the negroes usually sought help from outside body;

either the popular black, or humanity minded white or else the government. However, their

suffrage, injustice and death continue to be the same phenomenon. As a result, they became bold

enough by themselves, independent and started fighting for freedom. When king express this

move, he wrote “Negros have discovered the fighting spirit, and the power each with in

himself…relied up on their own united ranks for strength and protection.” (p.101). "Oppressed

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people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself..."

According to scripture, all men are created equal, and to preserve this principle the black churches

at that time played vital role, which I believe needs to be part of the current churches.

When I learned about the declaration of the 13th,14th, and 15th amendments alongside other laws,

I thought it gave fundamental rights for African Americans. But after nearly a hundred years, the

evil nature and brutality of dominant group, extreme violation of the civil right and racism is still

there, particularly in Birmingham, Alabama. In this city, segregation in every horizon of life

including church, job, music, sport, parks, and restaurants was a common incident which seems

the oppressors are living in another world. The support of local government, particularly the so-

called commissioner Eugen Bull Connor to white racist in Birmingham city is incredible part. The

book precisely describes the wicked scheme of the dominant group oppression of African

Americans directly through segregation, discrimination, and diminishing negros dignity, and

indirectly abstracting different laws that leverage their supremacy and marginalize and prohibit

negros advancement. King said, those laws are unjust and hence not to be obeyed. King’s example

of token money to explain the dominant group’s strategy to obscure the reality of segregation and

discrimination is out of the ordinary.

For me, opposition and protest seemed violence and strike; however, I realized that nonviolent

resistance is weigh powerful tool to bring change, after I read the book. King explained in the book

(p.23) shortly about the nonviolent resistance by referring to its origination and powerfulness in

India by Ghandi, in Roman empire, and in religious tradition of negro. In this regard, the book

educates the principles and steps of nonviolence resistance, its history, and people’s perception

towards it. Furthermore, the book gave lesson on how the campaign was organized, freedom songs

were incorporated in to, and how the tool influenced the existing system by then.

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Another aspect catch my attention is king’s meticulous analysis of African American’s major

freedom fighters. In this regard, King precisely discussed about the ideology of Booker T.

Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, and Marcus Garvey. He also explained how Gravy’s idea associated

with Nation of Islam (NOI) movement. This provide some sort of evidence for those who doesn’t

know African American history in detail.

I have no word to say how fascinating was The Letter from Birmingham Jail itself. It is just

incredible writing which shows the king’s peculiar intellect.

Overall, the book Why we can’t wait display the significance of freedom and human right, and

how it feels when people lack those. The book taught the history of African American freedom

movement, ideology of nonviolent resistance, unkindness of the dominant group in south and the

negro’s independent response to the burden they had been faced. I have learned much more from

the book which is written in a clear and understandable, yet influential words. It is admirable,

extraordinary and a wonderful book, which remain, I believe, a vital historical document and a

testament to the philosophy of peace and equality.