"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was 'well timed' in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word 'Wait!'... This 'Wait' has almost always meant 'Never.' We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that 'justice too long delayed is justice denied.'"
— Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," 1963
Which of the following best describes the author's main argument in the excerpt?
- African Americans must engage in active, immediate protest because waiting for oppressors to grant rights voluntarily is ineffective.Answer
- BAll major civil rights organizations agreed that nonviolent direct action was the only acceptable method to end segregation.
- CThe civil rights movement should focus on expanding the economic relief programs established by the New Deal.
- DCivil rights campaigns should be paused to focus national resources on containing communism in East Asia.
Answer
African Americans must engage in active, immediate protest because waiting for oppressors to grant rights voluntarily is ineffective.
The correct option is correct because Martin Luther King, Jr. explicitly asserts that direct action is necessary because waiting for the oppressor to grant freedom is ineffective and 'justice too long delayed is justice denied.'
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s
Estimated Time:45s