Letter from Birmingham Jail

On the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 79th birthday, here's an excerpt from his April 16, 1963 "Letter From Birmingham Jail" about the importance of confrontation and pissing people off:

I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.

Though "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is widely reprinted and quoted, it is relatively obscure because of broadcast media's understandable focus on King's speeches for which audio and video footage exist — namely "I Have A Dream" and, to a lesser extent, "I've Been To The Mountaintop," delivered the day before his murder.

It's unfortunate, because "Letter From Birmingham Jail" is stunning. If you have the slightest interest in King's life or work, you won't regret taking 10 minutes to read it in its entirety.