Comparing Letter From Birmingham Jail And A More Perfect Union

Both race and politics are the main theme discussed in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail", and Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union".

King wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail in response to eight clergyman. In Birmingham the racial discrimination was active thus he moved to Birmingham to abolished the racial segregation. there, he got arrested for protesting against the racial discrimination. Their demand for equality was never fulfilled despite their nonviolence action. He states, "oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. the yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro (349). American africans were separated from whites. Whites were considered superior and American Africans were inferior. The colored children goes to different parks, school. They were not accepted to white school. A colored mother says, "tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children" (345).

when you take a cross country drive and find it necessary

to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you" (345). Even kids were not allowed to go to parks because rules and laws were in whites' favor. the colored people were promised that they will get equal rights but the promised were just for the name sake. King said, "we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise" (343).
Obama's, "A More Perfect Union" was a speech given during a presidential campaign. A racial tension still exist in today's society, during the campaign people described him as "too black" or " not black enough" (). Obama states, I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren" () Obama explains only unity will resolve the racial tension. Despite the color differences, cultural differences if everyone work together as a unity, this will help to develop the nation.

The difference between King and Obama is, king was a activist who fought for racial segregation whereas Obama is a political leader.

In king's article, he explains the racial tension between white and colored people in Birmingham while Obama's talks about through unity we can bring change in a society. The time period was different between the two authors. During King's period, the racial tension was active and his motive was to end the inequality between whites and color people but during Obama's period, the racial tension had settled down and he was running for a presidential campaign and his motive could be to win the presidency.

The tone of King's piece is informative because he explains how color people are being treated. In contrast, Obama's tone of speech is persuading

because he request to the audience that we must unite together to bring change in a society.

Both author talks about the racism,

inequality.