Letter from Birmingham Jail

Posted: 07/26/2022

Letter from Birmingham Jail

The original oil painting "Letter from Birmingham Jail," was created to commemorate the 2011 unveiling of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D. C.  The limited edition screen print seen here, based on the painting, was also created that same year.

The work was inspired by the letter written by Dr. King from the jail, where he was confined after being arrested for his part in non-violent protests against racial segregation by Birmingham's city government and the city’s downtown retailers.  The letter responded to eight white Alabama clergymen who criticized Dr. King as an outside agitator, and argued that the battle against segregation should be fought in the courts, rather than in the streets.   It included some of his most enduring statements, including “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and is considered a masterpiece of literature from the civil rights era of the 1960s.  The letter continues to be studied and analyzed by students at all levels, and we believe that this print will contribute to that educational heritage.

In 2012, the screenprint was added to the collection of the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, and was one of the prints examined in "Art in Action:  A Further Look at Socially-Engaged Contemporary Artist Prints, at the Library."  The print is also in the permanent collection of the Fine Arts Program at the Federal Reserve Board.