he could assist in rescuing. He gathered together his group of supporters and volunteers. They were trained daily before they began to protest, not on how to fight back to the physical attacks they would receive, but to be prepared for the physical abuse they would have to endure. The volunteers were trained to believe that Bull Conor, the police sheriff, wanted them to fight back with violence. King taught them to accept it, and continue to participate in sit-ins and carry signs of protest. King had the ability to inspire his demonstrators so that they feared nothing, not even death.And I know that when I say don't be afraidyou know what I mean. Don't even be afraid to die. I submit to you tonight that no man is free if he fears death. But the minute you conquer the fear of death, at that moment you are free. You must say somehow, I don't have much money; I don't have much education; I may not be able to read and write, but I have the capacity to die.4When the demonstrators marched, they were jailed. When they were released from jail they marched again. The blacks of Birmingham, with the aid of King, united together against the common enemy of racism. When King was imprisoned, he wrote Letter From Birmingham Jail, explaining the philosophy of non-violence and presenting one of the most well-founded justifications for direct action and civil disobedience. People in Birmingham criticised King about the timing of his demonstrations.We know through painful experience that freedomis never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I haveyet 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 jur...
