Birmingham Revolution: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Epic Challenge to the Church

by Edward Gilbreath

From time to time prophetic Christian voices rise to challenge our nation's "original sin." In the twentieth century, compelled by the Spirit of God and a yearning for freedom, the African American church took the lead in heralding the effort. Like almost no other movement before or since, Christian people gave force to a social mission. And, remarkably, they did it largely through nonviolent actions. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words and historic efforts as the Moses of this civil rights movement stand out as perhaps the most significant instance of a modern Christian leader acting in a prophetic role to instigate political change. In many ways "The Letter from Birmingham Jail" stands at the center of that movement. In this book African American journalist Edward Gilbreath explores the place of that letter in the life and work of Dr. King. Birmingham Revolution is not simply a work of historical reflection. Gilbreath encourages us to reflect on the relevance of King's work for the church and culture of our day. Whether it's in debates about immigration, economic redistribution or presidential birth certificates, race continues to play a role in shaping society. What part will the church play in the ongoing struggle?

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Race, Justice, Biography, Christian Non Fiction, Religion

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solitary confinement in prison can be a shattering psychological experience, one often used to break the spirit of those imprisoned. For Martin Luther King, Jr., solitary confinement served not only to further forge the character of this civil rights leader, but resulted in one of the signature documents of the civil rights movement, indeed, one of the most important human rights documents of the Twentieth century. The document of which I'm speaking is "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

Edward Gilbreath's new book gives us an account of King's life centered around the Birmingham Civil Rights demonstrations and this letter that became a kind of manifesto for this movement. Rather than give us another full-blown biography, Gilbreath briefly sketches King's early life and the tension between coming from an elite Atlanta family of preachers with a distinquished education, and the call to civil rights leadership that began in Montgomery and suffered a setback in Albany, Georgia. King found himself caught in a nexus of caution, gifting, and necessity when Fred Shuttlesworth invited him to Birmingham.

Gilbreath paints the contrast between the cautious but eloquent King and the firebrand activist Pastor Shuttlesworth. Shuttlesworth grasped that King's visionary leadership was necessary to turn passion into disciplined action. What it also led to were confrontations with police chief Bull Conner who threw King, and eventually hundreds of child-demonstrators into prison. Those confrontations, complete with fire hoses and dogs caught the nation's attention and began to turn the nation's support to King.

Meanwhile, a group of eight moderate white clergymen, known to actually have sympathies with the civil rights movement, published an open letter in the Birmingham paper taking issue with the marches led by outsider King, counselling patience, moderation, and local solutions. A prison guard, perhaps to further depress King, gave him a copy of the paper while he was in solitary.

Gilbreath explores the phenomenon of latent black anger at continued injustices as a backdrop to King's response of scribbling the "letter" in the margins of the newspaper. In it, King makes the argument, later expanded into his book Why We Can't Wait that makes the case for civil disobedience to unjust laws and that "justice delayed is justice denied."

The rest of the book considers King's life after Birmingham and the response of evangelicals then and now to King. Gilbreath does not attempt to cover the flaws in either King's theology or life but also explores the blindness of both the eight moderate pastors in Birmingham as well as many in the white evangelical community to the biblical themes that shaped King's vision in the "Letter" and in his preaching.

The book helped me understand not only the circumstances behind King's "Letter" but also raised questions for me about our continued racial divides in the United States and my own temptation to identify with the moderate white pastors rather than hear the anger and pain that comes from injustices and the biblical themes that challenge me to see why justice can't wait.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I opened this book because I wanted to know more of the history of my city and I wanted to know more about the man who helped change it and who still is changing it. Galbreath clung to the truth that the church made the civil rights movement. That before there were marches, speeches, and imprisonments there was prayer, hymn singing, and sermons. I now have developed new questions which will require other books and more conversations. I hope that I too will not delve into action of any kind, or any deep questioning for that matter without also filling myself with prayer, song, and sound teaching all the more.

[Amy Binkerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am thankful that I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, because who knows if I ever would have stumbled across it on my own! Goodreads asks me, "What did you think?"...that's a tough one with this book. It took me several weeks to read this all the way through. Not because it's not a good book, but because it is. But you can't just read this, set it aside, and not think about it again like many other books. I found myself being put through an obstacle course of emotions, and taking a hard look inside of myself to see what I really believe to be true. I am guilty of being the person who says "I'm color blind." While the meaning/motive of why I say that statement remains true, there was a line in the book that will make me stop using that statement ever again. It said, "I do see color. I see every color, and God sees color because He made color. But the difference don't make a difference." God made color, because color is beautiful. We are all beautiful regardless of the pigment in our skin. I am as white as you can get (the sun hates me)...I can't change that any more than anyone with another skin color can. I can't change what my ancestors did, I can't apologize enough, I can't change history. But what I can do is change the future. I believe the only way to do that is through love and coversation. I am ashamed to say that the extent of my knowledge of MLK Jr, and many of the other world changers in this book, is only as much as my public school education gave me. To be honest, I don't even remember that. The last few years I have began to seek out knowledge by reading articles and books about history. I did not appreciate history when I was in school, but now that I am older I see how important it is to know what happened. The saying "those who forget history are doomed to repeat it" comes to mind. I don't want to ever forget history, and I never want to fail to educate myself about it. History can be a painful reminder of what a fallen world does to each other. We have to begin to love each other, faults and all. As simple as it seems, love really IS the answer. And at the risk of sounding cliche, God IS Love. He doesn't just create love, want love, need love, give love, etc....He IS Love. This book has fueled my thirst for knowledge, and my desire to educate my children while they are young so they aren't in their 30's before they seek it for themselves.

[Tiffany Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Luther King, in his Letter from Birmingham Jail said, 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!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. 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."

I read the Letter from Birmingham Jail in high school and several times in college, but not in-depth or with as much breadth as Edward Gilbreath. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I am so glad that I did. Gilbreath has re-humanized Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for me. I was born about four years after MLK's assassination. As an African American, my parents made sure they instilled in me a strong sense of racial pride. My generation began the era of nation-wide desegregation. Most of us attended schools with people from all backgrounds and nationalities. We have given much credit to Dr. King, but after reading this book, credit should also be given to the church leaders who passionately, above all, heeded the message of Jesus Christ, "...and the greatest of these is love." Gilbreath has done an exceptional job in exploring the role the church played in the Civil Rights Movement. Comparing MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail to the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, the reader gains an understanding as to why MLK has been described as the most significant modern Christian leader acting in a prophetic role to instigate political change.

I do suggest that you have a copy of the Letter from Birmingham Jail nearby. As I was reading the Birmingham Revolution, it served as an excellent reference point.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a history lesson, a reflective meditation, and a testament to King's Letter from Birmingham Jail.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilbreath provides an extremely helpful articulation of MLK's journey and legacy for confused and tortured Evangelicals (like me). For many of us, who are deeply pained and passionate about racial inequity and injustice in America, the way the MLK is frequently talked about (and employed) in sermons and conversations in mostly-white-evangelical circles leaves us scratching our heads. This book is a wonderfully accessible volume that sheds tremendous light on MLK and the Birmingham chapter of the Civil Rights struggle.

Gilbreath doesn't gloss over Martin's foibles (wisely), but he is clearly more concerned about the ways the famous leader has been "mythologized" and his legacy has been de-radicalized. It's a very persuasive and convicting account. I also absolutely loved the way he carefully addresses the voices of the infamous 8 clergy in Birmingham who released the joint letter that ended up sparking Martin's famous epistle from jail.

Overall, Gilbreath provides a nuanced, well-researched, account that is also passionate about recovering the true Dr. King in our current times. If the only thing you really know about MLK is his "I Have a Dream" speech, or have ever felt unsettled about the way he is treated (or maybe ignored) in your community, then this book should go to the top of your reading list.

[Hope (bookedwithhope) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply incredible. This book sheds light on who MLK was as a person as well as the truth in his movement and his letter. MLK had so many people behind him and never lost sight of who was really in charge - God. Enlightening, powerful, and insightful, Gilbreath identifies the ways we can use MLK’s life to inspire us to act today.

Whether you’re a Christian or not, this book is a wonderful social justice read. It has definitely helped me on my anti-racist journey.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at MLK's legacy, particularly the challenge he offered the church in Letter from a Birmingham Jail, the entire Birmingham movement (led by Fred Shuttleworth and MLK), and King's legacy today. Glbreath also suggests the need for evangelicals to follow King's lead in confronting systemic sin (e.g. racism, poverty, etc).

[jet · Rating 5 out of 5]

contextualizes king’s activism, centering his religious convictions & unlearning the “santa claus-ification” of him that makes him a palatable & passive icon for white america. “it’s a sign of how potent the amnesiac powers of time are that we don’t remember how ticked off king was at the intransigence of the white community during the last years of his life.”

[Xiaomaea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note:
This book makes references to King's words in his "Letter From Birmingham Jail", but assumes that the reader has already read it and knows what the author is talking about. At some point as you go through Gilbreath's commentary, you'll likely feel the need to put the book down and go hunt for King's original letter as a reference. I was inspired to read one of the original drafts of King's letter halfway through Gilbreath's book as well as to read the letter again before writing this review.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere in this country.
-Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter From Birmingham Jail"

Edward Gilbreath's commentary on Martin Luther King Jr.'s time in Birmingham is the focus of this 170-page book, and it manages to make quite a lot of excellent points in a very condensed number of pages. I'm very much a fiction reader, and science-fiction/fantasy reader in particular, so reading nonfiction is more rare, takes me longer, and usually ends up being something I'm both committed to and fascinated by.

This book went beyond that. It was easy to read in that it was accessible and clear. But I had to digest it a bit, read it more slowly. It continued to shape my mind about matters of race and justice, and convinced me of several things I hadn't seen before their perspective was brought to bear in Gilbreath's book.

It doesn't go into a lot of detail about King's life the way a biography does except where it zeroes in on his relationship with Fred Shuttlesworth and other leaders of the civil rights movement, and on the events leading up to and following his arrest in Birmingham in 1963. Its focus beyond King's history is on the attitude of the church and of the white evangelical response to King both in the past and the present.

The book isn't overly preachy throughout, but neither does Gilbreath leave you off the hook; he makes a pretty good case in the 21st century for that which King himself made a case in his letter in the twentieth century.

From Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter:

In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and fear of being nonconformists.

And from Gilbreath, quoting a white woman named Debra Dean Murphy:

We still can’t absorb his real words. We prefer the ‘other’ MLK – the one who affirms our own pious outrage at racial inequality. But when King insists that such inequality is inextricably linked to an economic system that makes our comfortable lives possible, even as it debases and erases the marginalized and dispossessed, we get nervous. We don’t want the justice that King dreamed of to cost us anything.

The author recognizes King's flaws, but he also recognizes his strengths as the right leader at the right time in history - and encourages us to consider what we want to be in light of King's example and his convictions.

If you are a Christian or Jewish like one of the eight clergymen to whom King's Birmingham letter was addressed, you'll probably, like I did, both feel convicted and encouraged to engage with what Gilbreath has to say. This is that type of book. It asks you to engage with it, and not to just review what you've read on Goodreads and move on.

It is something to be thinking about far past finishing the book, far past reading the "Letter From Birmingham Jail" for the first time, the second time, or the hundredth time.

And it's about how you live after you've read it.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. For one thing it tells the story of what it takes to ignite a revolution as well as the difficulties that one faces in changing the course of history and people groups. This is a great read for understanding some of the racialized history of the United States. What I also appreciated about Gilbreath is that he applied it to one of today’s modern questions in the USA: immigration.

[Kevin Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review “Birmingham Revolution” (2013) by Edward Gilbreath

The author, Edward Gilbreath, elevates the often maligned, southern, industrial city of Birmingham to a prominent position in America’s long painful history to become a more perfect union of true liberty, equality and justice for all. He rightfully reminds us that Birmingham in May 1963 was a revolutionary place in our country’s history when the Civil Rights’ Movement gained a new and stronger momentum that paved the way for several civil rights’ bills, a March on Washington, more protest movements and a heightened awareness of social justice issues. Gilbreath provides the necessary context for understanding Birmingham’s importance giving a cursory description of the important civil rights events that led up to Birmingham and a snapshot of its social progress and problems in the 21st century (until 2013). Gilbreath does an excellent job of bringing US civil rights history to new generations in his clear, concise, and even-handed writing.

The book gives the Birmingham Campaign’s many important figures their due like Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, Wyatt Tee Walker, James Bevel, Ella Baker, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, the children, but Martin Luther King, as often happens, steals the show. The book focuses on him from his childhood to his time in Montgomery Alabama, through the Birmingham Campaign to his modern legacy, which includes the thoughts of contemporary ministers, youth leaders and educators about Martin Luther King and how he transformed their lives.

Gilbreath’s black evangelical perspective helps him understand the total MLK that goes beyond his often secularized, sanitized portrayal, and he points out the importance of faith and prayer in King’s life. One example is when King is deciding whether to defy a court injunction against his planned Birmingham protest march: “Saying he needed to pray alone…30 minutes later King returned … and said, ‘I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know where the money will come from, but I have to make a faith act…I’ve got to march” (70). Time and again King drew inspiration from Jesus’ radical lifestyle of breaking the norms and reaching out to the marginalized. Today people let political leaders shape their religious beliefs, but King did the opposite, letting his faith shape his politics.

Gilbreath does a good job of bringing out the natural suspense of this fraught time in American history. The whole civil rights movement is quickly descending into another fiasco like the Albany campaign. The protests are fizzling out, the national media has disappeared, the local media is criticizing, some protesters are thrown in jail for marching, and King is put into solitary confinement. The timing of this low point in the movement is interesting. It’s Good Friday. The author, to his credit, lets the reader draw his/her own parallels between King and Jesus on this day when both their movements seemed finished.

To add insult to injury, the day after King is jailed, he is handed a local Birmingham newspaper and sees a letter written by 8 Birmingham religious leaders, whom he had considered sympathetic to the cause, and realizes his friends have abandoned him. In this public letter they are criticizing him as a reckless, radical outsider who has come to their fair city to foment “hatred and violence” among “our Negro citizens.” This moment is the center of the book, and like in a good novel, the reader is held in suspense and wondering how the protagonist is going to disentangle himself from this seemingly hopeless situation. Again the author lets this drama play itself out naturally without any fancy elaborations.

Most readers know that while King was confined in the horrible conditions of a jail cell he wrote a masterful letter, which has become a preeminent piece of American political discourse. Instead of over-analyzing this well-known letter, I like that the author uses his evangelical perspective to focus on the 8 religious leaders who instigated King’s letter. This angle gives the reader a new way of looking at this famous American event and reveals information about these unknown ministers, who unknowingly thrust themselves into history in a negative light while placing their intended target into a positive light and, as a result, helped to advance a faltering civil rights movement.
The author describes who the ministers are, why they signed off on this insulting letter, and how King’s famous epistle affected them. Gilbreath humanizes them and helps us understand the religions of Birmingham 1963. Interestingly, and perhaps predictably, most of the ministers were not impressed with King’s masterful letter. Gilbreath individually lists each minister’s reaction and concludes: “most of them believed it was cruel and unfair…a mixed bag that revealed shifting combinations of anger, sadness and acceptance” (115) Bishop Joseph Durkin was the only one who had a positive response and was transformed by King’s letter: “Inspired by King’s letter, Durick would go on to lead his Birmingham diocese toward genuine integration”(116).

Despite the brilliance and the power of King’s Birmingham letter, it was insignificant in achieving the immediate task at hand: staging an effective protest march to refocus the nation’s attention on the suffocating and debilitating effects of Black segregation in Birmingham. It had to happen now- on May 2, 1963. King’s letter would not even be pieced together and understood for months. James Bevel was summoned back into the fold , and it was his controversial and risky plan of the Children’s March (D-Day and Double D-Day), which no one but the children appreciated at the time, that saved the day. It succeeded beyond everyone’s expectations. On May 10, the SCLC and Birmingham’s city leaders announced an agreement. On June 11, President Kennedy addressed the nation on television that he was submitting civil rights legislation to congress. The author, Gilbreath, does not focus enough on James Bevel’s key role in rescuing the Birmingham Campaign from the annals of “civil rights flops” and in turning it into a successful Birmingham Revolution. Bevel is not given the credit and the space in the book that he deserves.

The author summarizes nicely 4 ideas that all contributed to the success of the Birmingham Revolution:
1. The Birmingham Campaign and the Civil Rights Movement in general derived its ideas and power from the “holistic gospel of Jesus Christ”(167). It is not an exaggeration to say the Birmingham Campaign was able to access divine power through their prayers, their church services and assemblies, their songs, their strict adherence to Biblical principles and their commitment to non-violence. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31
2. Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth is the progenitor of the whole Birmingham Campaign. He laid the civil rights groundwork over many years at Bethel Baptist Church, a strident black voice in a white wilderness, that allowed others to come in and join the struggle. It was his vehement disagreement with King that kept the demonstrators on the streets while they negotiated a desegregation agreement all the way to its conclusion. His stubborn tenacity led to a better final agreement than King could have secured by himself. He provided King with a dose of Birmingham reality when dealing with white business leaders.
3. The youth provided the missing ingredients of enthusiasm, courage, joy, idealism, and energy that brought the Revolution across the finish line. It’s interesting that no one, especially Dr. King, had the imagination to see this untapped, abundant resource except James Bevel.
4. Martin Luther King provided the steady leadership, the experience, the political connections, the fund-raising and above all the inspiration to the Birmingham Campaign. His greatness was that he attempted to live his life according to the ideals he spoke in his speeches and wrote in his books and papers. This integrity inspired confidence in the people around him and created a community that was unstoppable. Gilbreath concludes by stating that King’s life and his words were one: “Through prayer, study and reflection, King was able to tell his life compellingly. … because his letter [speech] was his life” (167).

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the first reads giveaway program so I was not entirely sure what to expect. I was pleased to find that the author presented an in depth look at Dr. King's Civil Rights activities in Birmingham that not only dealt with his interaction with the government but also his interaction with the various church leaders at the time. In exploring the history behind Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail", the author helped me realize how much of his work then is still relevant for churches today. This different approach to King's work was very thought-provoking for me, and I felt as though I had gained additional insight into this very important historical time.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gilbreath is a journalist, not a historian, so this books moves quickly and doesn't ever get bogged down in dry historical details. I really enjoyed learning more about Martin Luther King Jr. and the other people working with him in the civil rights movement. (I am ashamed to say that I did not know who Fred Shuttlesworth was before I read this; I'd like to learn more about him now.) I feel like Gilbreath could have spent more time talking about what King's work means for today. I'll have to find out if that's in his other book (Reconciliation Blues).

[Kelly Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. One of the most important books I've ever read. At basically only 170 pages, it's not hefty in size, but it is substantial in thoughts and ideas to inform and challenge my thinking. Gilbreath looks at the year 1963 (and leading up to it) in the city of Birmingham, Alabama and Dr. Martin Luther King and other significant people at the time. The book speaks to America then and America today in an important way, to clarify Race relations as it was then, as it still is today, and with a cautious look to a better tomorrow.

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year on the third Monday in January, a strange thing happens. A whole range of people—including white evangelicals like me—take to Facebook, Twitter, and yes, even to blogs like this, to commemorate the legacy and words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

For many of us, his “I Have A Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial is seen as one of the iconic moments in American history, an inspiring, goosebumps-inducing work of oratory genius. Incidentally, those of us who grew up on Christian music (you know, the kind that’s “safe for the whole family”) can even quote the speech’s dénouement from heart, thanks to the sample featured in dc Talk’s hit song “Free at Last” from the 1992 album of the same title.

Yet at the time, King was not considered “safe” at all, nor were his words considered happy and inspirational. Following the landmark 1963 speech, an FBI memo called him the “most dangerous and effective Negro leader in the country.”

How do we reconcile this “most dangerous” man of recent history with the “safe for the whole family” figure we behold in tributes today? Not easily. To sanitize his words would be to dismiss what he truly stood for, sat for, marched for, pleaded for, died for. We’d do well, rather, to think of him as a man of courage and conviction, an imperfect leader from whom we’d do well to learn. And as far as I’m concerned, the third Monday of January is as good a time as any to commit yet again to do just that: to learn from his example, borne as it was out of hardship, and leading, as it eventually did, to death.

Edward Gilbreath is a journalist who is perhaps best known as the author of Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical’s Inside View of White Christianity. In his new book, Birmingham Revolution: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Epic Challenge to the Church, Gilbreath writes that in order to truly understand King and the civil rights movement in context, we’d do well to consider the Birmingham campaign, which came to a head in April and May of 1963, just months before the March on Washington and the “I Have a Dream” speech.

As non-violent protests mounted in Birmingham, King was arrested for the thirteenth time on April 12, Good Friday. The very same day a group of eight “moderate” white clergymen in Alabama issued a statement on the “racial problems” in the state. They began by expressing their shared view that in the preceding months progress had in fact been made, citing “some evidence of increased forbearance and a willingness to face facts” and an opening among “responsible citizens” to work towards a “new constructive and realistic approach” to the racial divide. But they took issue with the nature and the timing of the recent protests, which, in their view, threatened to undermine hard fought progress. What’s more, they were critical of the involvement of those like King who had descended upon Birmingham from elsewhere, intent on causing trouble. They wrote:

"[We] are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders. We recognize the natural impatience of people who feel that their hopes are slow in being realized. But we are convinced that these demonstrations are unwise and untimely. We agree rather with certain local Negro leadership which has called for honest and open negotiation of racial issues in our area. And we believe this kind of facing of issues can best be accomplished by citizens of our own metropolitan area, white and Negro, meeting with their knowledge and experience of the local situation. All of us need to face that responsibility and find proper channels for its accomplishment."

The statement from the “moderate” white clergy, urging continued patience, prompted King to pen “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on scraps of paper handed to him by a janitor while behind bars. Simply put, King and his allies felt they had waited long enough, and that stalling tactics were actually a thinly veiled attempt by those in power to ensure that justice was never done. As Chief Justice Earl Warren had put it five years earlier in 1958, “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

After beginning the letter by addressing the clergy as “men of genuine good will” with “criticisms… sincerely set forth” King went on to explain why he was in Birmingham. He had been invited to come by local leaders, he wrote, but that ultimately, he was there simply because injustice was there, and he had the responsibility to act. Like the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostle Paul alike, he had no choice but to answer the call. The letter continued:

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds. You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative."

In his 1964 book Why We Can’t Wait, King expanded upon the message of his famous letter. Until the Birmingham campaign, he wrote, “the Negro had been an object of sympathy and wore the scars of deep grievances, but the nation had come to count on him as a creature who could quietly endure, silently suffer, and patiently wait. He was well trained in service and, whatever the provocation, he neither pushed back or spoke back.”

King may have used the statement from the eight white clergymen as the impetus for his impassioned letter in reply, but as Gilbreath points out, he was certain that others would be listening in as well. His message was intended to pierce the conscience of other Christians “of genuine good will”—people, perhaps, like you and me—those who today are inclined to commemorate this holiday by affirming his legacy. But if we were to truly grapple with the contents of his letter, we wouldn’t come away from it feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Gilbreath continues:

"What we were supposed to hear are the reasons why justice delayed is justice denied; why an unjust law is arguably not a law at all; why King believed the church is Christ’s body, but a body weakened by social neglect and bad theology. But most of all, King wanted Christians to understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ demands holistic engagement with the real world in front of them today."

The Birmingham campaign ended a long time ago, and great strides have been made in racial equality—if not reconciliation—over the past five decades. We may point to the presidency of Barack Obama, and the prevalence of African Americans in places of prominence in sports, media, business, and entertainment. But ask any person of color and you’re likely to hear stories that demonstrate clearly and unmistakably that there is still work to be done. There are bridges to be crossed. There are walls to be torn down. There are wounds to be acknowledged, and if possible, healed. There are amends to be made.

So where do we go from here? How do we keep MLK Day from becoming just another sentimental holiday that’s “safe for the whole family” but devoid of relevance related to the injustices of our day? I can’t say I have the answer.

Yet the call to seek justice goes out to each of us and all of us everywhere. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, like King and his contemporaries—black and white alike—we are called to “cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”

May the God of justice and mercy grant us wisdom and courage, and may he guide us all in the paths of peace, for his name’s sake. Amen.

- See more at: http://timhoiland.com/2014/01/king-bi...

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book based on a World magazine recommendation. I think it was a helpful book, helping me become more familiar with civil rights history and the persons involved in it. I read the Letter from Birmingham jail, and like I mentioned in my review of Austin Channing Brown's I'm Still Here (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...), I found MLK's comments about the complacent white person to be especially convicting. I definitely have a desire to not continue in ignorance.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid breakdown of the events that lead to the writing of ‘The Letter From Birmingham Jail’ and it and Dr. King’s lasting impact. I particularly appreciated the latter half of this book, which outlines the complicated relationship evangelicals have had with Dr. King and his legacy in the decades following the letter’s publication. Highly recommended, I just wish it was slightly more detailed as it felt like I was just skimming the surface of history :)

[Kevin Smallacombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and exciting. Makes me want to read more.

[Thomas Christianson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, brief overview of King's work in Birmingham.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

must read

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look into MLK's work in Birmingham including his famous letter from jail.

[MG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wise and impassioned essay on why we still need the deep insights and prophetic challenge of Martin Luther King's LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL.

[Michael Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the prologue to Birmingham Revolution, author Edward Gilbreath writes, “There are two race-related facts about our nation’s founding that we cannot get around. First, Native Americans, the original inhabitants of the territory that eventually would become the United States, were usurped from the land by a combination of force and political deceit” (12). This reminds me of something the late singer/songwriter Rich Mullins said in an interview, “I’m very hurt over the determination of the government to destroy life and its not simply over the abortion issue. Anyone who has any awareness at all of Wounded Knee, not only the first Wounded Knee but what happened there, what 20 years ago … You kinda go, there can be no doubt that governments that are controlled by men are without exception anti-life and anti-Christ.”

This startling observation also applies to the second race-related fact. “For the first eight-nine years of its official existence, the United States was a nation whose growth and prosperity was dependent on African and African American slave labor” (13). Sadly, in both cases, it’s not hard to see how the government has been on the wrong side of issues.

Readers like me who are white gain insight into the perspective of an African American author like Gilbreath. His research and judicious use of facts are excellent. He succeeds admirably in giving a succinct, readable account of pivotal events in Alabama and the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which formed the basis of the Civil Rights movement. If readers are unschooled in these issues or need a refresher course, this is a helpful place to start.

I suppose that it’s difficult for anyone to be completely free of bias, but I don’t detect an agenda. There is no anger or hatred in his voice. He tells the story with wisdom from above that is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). This is helpful in that you could give this book to anyone, and if they are open to truth, they can find it.

The book highlights the importance of Letter from Birmingham Jail, where King writes, “If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity … and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club” (16). Alvin Sanders, and African American who is the executive director of reconciliation in the Evangelical Free Church of America, framed it this way, “In the Letter from Birmingham Jail he (King) put the African American struggle squarely as part of the process of authentic discipleship. He believed the fight for justice was an essential mark of the gospel” (16-17).

Even though this was published in 2013 it speaks to the civil unrest of our day. It was one of several digital books on racism that IVP made available for free in July of 2020.

My eye was on this title. I became familiar with the author through his former association with CT magazine and an encounter over a reflection that I wrote about Jimi Hendrix. Gilbreath volunteered to edit it for another publication. He took my feeble efforts to another level and for that his name should be added.

I will never forget that kindness, and it was a wonderful surprise to find a fellow believer who could appreciate Hendrix.

It’s hard to believe that we as a people and nation can be so cruel and callous. The events described in this book actually happened. I wonder how King would react to what we see today. Gilbreath would be a good one to ask. Some of his response might come from these pages. This is an excellent resource to remind us of where our nation has been and how we might proceed in the future. Let’s continually come down on the side of life, the way Christ has shown. It was said of him, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory” (Matthew 12:21).

[Steve Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remembering the role of faith in the civil rights movement: a review for Birmingham Revolution by Edward Gilbreath

I received a free copy of the book from the Goodreads Give-a-way contest.

This is a good book. It looks at what shaped Martin Luther King Jr’s Christian challenge to the white clergy in Birmingham during a crucial moment in the civil rights movement. For that alone, it’s worth buying. While it is a short book, Gilbreath takes the time to show the real importance of Reverend Shuttleworth to the movement and gives some insight into the 8 white clergymen who first wrote a letter to King saying he should leave.

Another strength to the book is that he writes about Rev. Dr. King as a human being, not a mythical, infallible icon. He also does a good job of reclaiming the real challenge King making to all Christians about the call to fight for social justice.

The only complaint I have of the book is that the book does, at times, read like the master’s thesis it originally was. This means that Gilbreath’s enters the narrative briefly at different parts of the book. I’d much rather he wrote two books – one that focuses on Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham and personal one where he can go into much deeper about how the civil rights movement has shaped and challenged his faith.

The book ends with the current state of Birmingham, showing just how far we’ve come and how much we still have to do. This book is a good snapshot of a moment in time and ends with an interesting and even-handed look at Birmingham today.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short Review: King's Letters from a Birmingham Jail as well as the whole Birmingham campaign still have something to say to the modern church. After re-reading Letters from a Birmingham Jail last month I picked up this book that both discusses the letter and gives context to the whole Birmingham campaign. It is hard to overstate how convicting that I find Letter from a Birmingham Jail, while overt racism is much less prevalent than when it was written, the underlying issues that King is addressing in his response to another open letter to the leaders of the Birmingham campaign from generally supportive white pastors seems like it could have been written this year. Whites still want African American leaders to slow down, still are concerned about law and order and misuse of civil disobedience. Gilbreath makes this book personal. He is too young to have lived through the era, but he interviews many who did and spends time reflecting about what has and has not changed and how we should be inspired and challenged. Gilbreath is a journalist and a writer or editor for several Evangelical magazines throughout his career so he speaks well to Evangelicals and addresses some of the mistrust of King by evangelicals.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/birmingham-revolution/

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
This book was very well-informed, as the author had not only done his research but also had traveled to the places which were most influential for Dr.MLK Jr.'s life. The topic in the beginning of the comparison to the Martin Luther v. the Catholic Church was not overly-religious (which one might assume)but rather factual and informative. The bias nature of the book slanted towards a more 'religious' nature but wholeheartedly the subject in spotlight was indeed, a religious figure of great standing, esp. in the South. I've never read anything other than the good Dr.'s own writings until this book, and the author managed to recapture the objective of his life's work and mingle it with tons of informative 'footnotes' along the way, so that upon completion, one feels as though they truly know all there is to know about such a great man who sought after such a great cause.

[WriteKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 of 5 stars – Glimpse at The Genius, Faith & Humanity of a Great Man
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, Leah!)

My how the ripples rolled out from a simple letter in the pond of the civil rights movement.

I was fascinated by how Galbreath spelled out the various religious, social, economic and political implications, forces and events surrounding the letter that Dr. King wrote. In the process I learned more about the man, the people and the civil rights movement itself. Fifty years later, Galbreath shows how this still speaks to us today.

To its advantage, it’s a short read, and the language is straightforward, despite its heavy subject matter. I didn’t get bogged down in details and stayed engaged throughout.

This book illustrates why this letter, while its author is well-known, should be more widely appreciated and take its place among the wonderful symbolic documents written in history.

[Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Race and Christianity, (evangelical)gets a pretty thorough review in this book. Gilbreath's division of white 'evangelists' into uber generalists, meta moderates and reluctant radicals was interesting. MLKs rage at the segregation, his Thoreauvian civil disobedience, Gandhian non violence and Christian forgiveness coming together in solitary confinement is very poignant. MLKs greatest influences were non black figures: Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi. The book is a decent portrayal of his angst and wipes away the portrayal of MLK as a poetic saint that is 'Santa Clausified' in the modern day.

[Russell Goulet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birmingham Revolution addresses events that happened more than 50 years ago, but Edward Gilbreath is able to bring a new perspective and new information to the struggle. The historical information in the book is enhanced by Gilbreath's own take on the events, but he also adds information from those who had first-hand knowledge and experience. The book examines the changes that happened in the 1960s, but also adds a current look at these historical events. I received the book through Goodreads First Reads.