Original artwork, not a still
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
King turns an insult into an argument: nobody is an outsider to an injustice, because a wrong done in one place sets the standard for every other place. It is the letter's most quoted sentence, shorthand for solidarity, and is used in protests, speeches and slogans far from Birmingham. Its force is that it makes staying silent a choice with a cost for everyone.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Letter from Birmingham JailShow the scene
Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" on 16 April 1963, while jailed during the Birmingham campaign. It is an open letter answering "A Call for Unity", a public statement criticising the protests. In the passage where he replies to being called an outsider, he explains why he is in Birmingham at all, and the sentence appears there. The letter was widely published and became a key text of the civil rights movement. King later reprinted it in his 1964 book Why We Can't Wait.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia: Letter from Birmingham JailleadReference checked
- Wikiquote: Martin Luther King Jr.Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963) quotesReference checked
- Wikipedia: Why We Can't WaitinfoboxReference checked
Context reviewed
