Question

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 jurists, that Justice too long delayed is justice denied. We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights... but we still creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter...

Which of the following best describes King's answer to the leaders who call for patience?

a) He questions whether waiting will produce results.

b) He thinks that waiting 340 years for his constitutional rights has strengthened his cause.

c) He believes that patience will result in justice.

d) None of the above.

Answer 1

Martin Luther King Jr.'s response is that waiting has almost always meant 'Never' and justice delayed is justice denied. He and other civil rights leaders like the SNCC and Thurgood Marshall represent the 'New Negro' who is no longer willing to wait for gradual change.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage you're referring to is from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 'Letter from Birmingham Jail', where he responds to a call for patience from white religious leaders who were against his nonviolent demonstrations. King's answer to their calls for patience is best described as questioning whether waiting will produce any results (a). He emphasizes that 'Wait' has nearly always translated to 'Never'. He argues that justice delayed is justice denied and that after 340 years of waiting for their rights, African Americans should not be expected to wait any longer, especially when only minimal progress, like being allowed to have a cup of coffee at a segregated counter, has been made.

In the broader context of the civil rights movement, King and other leaders like those from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) represented the perspective of what Malcolm X described as the 'New Negro', who was no longer willing to wait passively for justice. These leaders, including Thurgood Marshall, who famously fought against segregation through the courts, all signify a refusal to accept the status quo or the slow pace of change promised by traditional political processes. King and these other leaders embody the impatience and urgency for social justice that defined the era.