Question

What does King mean when stating, “...freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” ?

Answer 1

Answer:

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama for organizing widespread protests and he was criticized by some white Clergymen for what they viewed as the wrong methods to go about seeking equal rights.

King then replied in the ''Letter from Birmingham Jail'' where he stated that if citizens do not take direct action, there is a chance that they could wait forever to get their rights because freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

The logic here is that people who are doing the oppressing are benefitting disproportionately from the system and so have no vested interest in changing the system and helping the oppressed so they never voluntarily give freedom to the oppressed.

If the oppressed want equal rights and freedom, they must demand it through direct action because if they do not, they might never get it.