Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cornel West are both influential and significant scholars within the black community. The main concepts that they address, nonviolent campaigns and nihilism, while different in approach target the same issues of inequality within America. A non-violent campaign is made up of several steps, however, nihilism can be defined as a philosophical ideology of foundational skepticism and hopelessness, it defines the pessimistic beliefs of meaninglessness and despair. Both concepts that prevalent within many scholarly works, particularly when referring to oppressed minorities within society. Within this essay, I analyze West’s Nihilism and Black America and King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. I discuss the relationship

between these two works of literature to show the importance of integrating politics of conversion into solutions pertaining to contemporary issues.

Nihilism and Black America
Born in 1953, Cornel West is an African-American philosopher and intellect who is renowned for his non-violent campaign and the vital steps in conducting such demonstrations.
for his academic standing and research. Having released over twenty publications, West is most recognizable for his work regarding topics pertaining to race and gender. Within his article Nihilism and Black America, issued within his 1994 publication Race Matters, West argues that the primary obstacle to race related discussion in the United States is nihilism. He derives the ignorance and presence of nihilism, which can be defined as philosophical idea that there are no foundations, rather there is hopelessness and despair, from two camps of thought: liberalism and conservatism.

Liberal structuralism, the more reasonable of the two perspectives, looks at structural problems of oppression. This outlook minutely highlights sociological factors in recognizing that historical impacts have influenced poor political and economic situations, such as high statistics of unemployment. The liberal viewpoint argues that solutions to these injustices are through the providence of governmental programs in relation to employment, health, education and childcare (West, 1991, p. 1). While the liberal structuralist view is right in critiquing the inadequacy of government programs to the poor, it fails to address the significance of culture as a structural component. This lack of perspective can be attributed to the factor that liberal structuralists focus mainly on constraints relating to the economy and politics, they perceive everyone to be self-interested, and are reluctant to fall into the conservative faction of thought. In doing so, structuralists deemphasize the factual and psychological realities of African-Americans (West, 1991, p. 2).

The second perspective, conservative behaviouralists, tend to promote tactics that would change how black people act and live. Conservatives, in an attempt to revive the Protestant work ethic in black America, focus on values that undermine structural oppression and promote economic self-help and growth in the way of black business expansion. Through ahistorical generalizations, behaviourists argue that African Americans should perceive themselves as agents rather than victims. However, in doing so, conservative behaviourists are ignorant of structural fact and inadvertently contribute to nihilism.

West argues that the current debate of liberal structuralism and conservative behaviouralists is stifling and adverts attention from any significant discussion; it conceals the substantial issue of nihilism. Nihilism is an extension of economic and political poverty that results in a deep psychological depression (West, 1991, p. 4). West recognizes that up until the seventies nihilism was not a very prevalent issue, primarily due to resiliency taught in black cultural structures and the later emergence of capitalism and consumerism; nihilism can also be seen to cause criminal behaviour. Through his analysis of nihilism within black communities, Cornel West goes on to suggest politics of conversion as a solution to the threats of nihilism.

Politics of conversion would take place in reviving a civil life and acknowledge that misrecognition can have fatal consequences, not only on individuals but culture as well. West outlines that this new model must incorporate black leadership and a generation of agency. This conversion must take place locally in institutions, such as churches and community centers, that are able to promote self-worth and self-affirmation; nihilism cannot be overcome by arguments or analyzes (West, 1991, p. 5). Overall, the politics of conversion incorporates both liberal structuralism and conservative behaviouralism to deal with nihilism directly.

Letter from Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King, Jr.

(1929–1968), well known for his non-violent activism in the African-American Civil Rights Movement, was imprisoned within Birmingham jail in 1963 for nonviolent demonstrations against segregation. While in prison King responded to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South, in the now-famous, Letter from Birmingham Jail. (King, 1963, p. 1) Within this letter, King refutes the accusations laid out against him, as well as provides a detailed account of his nonviolent campaign in action. The main allegations against him and his activism consisted of being classified an outsider, conducting unwise and untimely actions, lawbreaking, precipitating violence, and being extreme. Most allegations being biased were easy to refute, for example, King, who was invited to Birmingham, discusses how he is simply abiding by the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation. (King, 1963, p. 3) President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; King, using natural law and his Christian faith, places himself in the middle of cynic individuals and individuals calling for a violent revelation. Drawing upon past thinkers and illustrating events in which segregation has affected his daily life mentally; King acknowledges that while America has overcome slavery, the situation was still one in which African Americans are not treated like equal human beings. A form of injustice that any reasonable person can see; king’s non-violent campaign is made up of four stages, all of which were used in Birmingham: the collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. In the collection of facts, you get to understand the form of injustices that exist and the way they are carried out. Negotiation is trying to find a consensus or stable ground for the injustices. Self-purification is a vital step by which one acknowledges internally that

personal sacrifices are needed for the sake of progress and direct action is taking undeviating steps to confront the prejudice. (King, 1963, p. 1-2) King also mentions that direct action is not always called for and is only brought upon in a peaceful manner when individuals wish to refuse negotiation.

Black America: Approaches to Discussing Segregation and Racism
When reading Nihilism and Black America and Letter from a Birmingham Jail there are many similar values and goals being expressed. While irrelevant to the issues of nihilism and inequality, religion is very prevalent in both works. Indirectly religious background and values are very influential to Cornel West, the son of a Baptist minister, and Martin Luther King, Jr., who was a Baptist minister himself. Another comparison is seen when discussing what West describes as conservative behaviouralism “…beyond the superficial social analyst who looks merely at effects and does not grapple with underlying causes” (King, 1963, p. 1). Within the above quote, King acknowledges the issues of one of the camps of thought that West analyzes within Nihilism and Black America. Both scholars also recognize the significance of consumerism and the impacts it can make. Addressed in different scenarios West discusses the negative connotations that consumerism can have on society and perceptions of beauty and intelligence (West, 1991, p. 4-5), while King recollects trying to set his direct-action program around Easter realizing that it is one of the largest shopping periods of the year and would bring pressure on the merchants (King, 1963, p. 2). Like West, King does discuss some of the issues the of nihilism and conservative behaviouralism indirectly: “… as a result of long years of oppression… they have adjusted to segregation, and, on the other hand, of a few Negroes in the middle class who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because at points they profit by segregation, have unconsciously become insensitive to the problems of the masses” (King, 1963, p. 4). By addressing the hopelessness and individuals assenting to segregation and its effects, as well as those who have been successful despite segregation, King exemplifies nihilism as a deep-rooted issue and has shown flaws in conservative behaviouralism. King also exemplifies the significance of black churches as a cultural institution, that West similarly discusses when outlining the politics of conversion (King, 1963, p. 4). Although the comparison of these two works of literature are for the most part observances and analysis of issues facing black communities, they are significant in the sense that they complement each other. Both works can be seen to benefit from each other, West provides analysis and conceptual background while King provides examples based on his first-hand experience. Main contrasts within both pieces of writing come from time difference and the format in which they are relayed. West, who is a contemporary philosopher, composed this scholarly article in 1991, King composed his letter within 1963. Both Cornel West and Martin Luther King, Jr. were also dealing with different aspects of the same issue. King dealt with and focuses on the period of the African-American civil rights movement while West is dealing with what can be considered the aftermath.

Conclusion
Although Martin Luther King, Jr.’s activism and the ideology he expresses is very valuable and effective when applied, Cornel West’s analysis and recommendation of conversion politics would be more significant in dealing with modern political issues. West, while incorporating the political and structural issues that King observed, is able to address the lasting effects of slavery and segregation that progressed after the civil rights movement. Cornel West’s work is also very significant in laying out a potential framework of contemporary issues facing the Indigenous community within Canada. The factor that West’s work can be considered a precedent is also attributed to the ways in which the journal article is meant to invoke change and present factual evidence to a wider audience and has done so in an increasingly liberal time.