Question

Read the excerpt.

I must close now. But before closing I am impelled to mention one other point in your statement that troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping “order” and “preventing violence.” I don’t believe you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its angry violent dogs literally biting six unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I don’t believe you would so quickly commend the policemen if you would observe their ugly and inhuman treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you would watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you would see them slap and kick old Negro men and young Negro boys; if you will observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I’m sorry that I can’t join you in your praise for the police department.
Based on this passage from “Letter from Birmingham City Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr., who are the South’s “real heroes”?


the protesters

the police dogs

the police force

Answer 1

the protesters are the real heroes :)

Answer 2

The protesters

Step-by-step explanation:

In these lines, Martin Luther King Jr. talks about the role of the police in the civil right protests that many Black people were involved in. He tells us that the police was praised for being able to maintain the order and prevent violence. However, King argues that they actually acted in violent and unjust ways, attacking protesters and being cruel to them. From these lines, it would appear that the South's real heroes were not the policemen, but the protesters.