Letter from the Birmingham Jail is a profound piece of writing by Martin Luther King Jr., composed on April 16, 1963, while he was confined in a Birmingham jail. King was serving a sentence for his participation in civil rights demonstrations.

Alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell, King reflected on a letter from fellow clergymen urging him to abandon his campaign of nonviolent resistance and leave the battle for racial equality to the courts. In response, he drafted this extensive and forceful written statement against social injustice.

This remarkable essay not only focused the world's attention on Birmingham but also spurred the famous March on Washington. Bristling with the energy and resonance of his great speeches, this letter is both a compelling defense of nonviolent demonstration and a rallying cry for an end to social discrimination. It remains as powerful today as it was more than twenty years ago.