Jan. 17, 2022
MLK’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” remains relevant, Baltimore Jewish social justice groups contend
Baltimore Fish BowlThis article originally appeared in Baltimore Fishbowl on January 17th 2022
On Sunday Jan. 16, two local groups advancing social justice through a Jewish lens — Jews United for Justice and Repair the World Baltimore — held an event to show how relevant the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” remains today.
Two seniors at Baltimore School for the Arts, Jayden Ozoemena and Joseph Hatchett II, brought King’s words to life through pre-recorded readings. The event also featured Zoom breakout rooms and a panel discussion with Tré Murphy, Tara Huffman and Taylor Branch, a historian known for his trilogy of books chronicling King’s life and much of the American civil rights movement.
“Many people will say, ‘We know police brutality is an issue, we know voter suppression is an issue,’ but when we talk about the substance of what to do next, oftentimes people will have issues with the tactics that are being used,” Murphy, director of community organizing for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said at the event. “What’s happening then is happening now.”