Final answer:
Based on the excerpt, it can be inferred that the civil rights movement, led by figures like Fred Shuttlesworth and Martin Luther King, Jr., utilized organized and nonviolent tactics, including nightly church meetings, to fight segregation. The violent response to peaceful protests played a significant role in garnering support for civil rights reform.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inference that can be made from the excerpt from Why the Children of Birmingham Marched is that the civil rights movement in Birmingham was organized, strategic, and involved strong leadership from both local and national figures. Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, already leading the fight against segregation through the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR), called upon Martin Luther King, Jr. to assist with the efforts. King's suggestion to hold nightly church meetings indicates a thoughtful approach to amass support and strategize, reflecting the movement's reliance on nonviolent civil disobedience, a hallmark of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s leadership.
During this period, the SCLC's nonviolent protests and demonstrations, such as the Children's March, highlighted the injustices of Jim Crow laws. The violent response to peaceful protests, including the deployment of fire hoses and dogs against children, stirred national and international outrage against racial segregation. Discontentment with the status quo and the desire for social change united the African American community, with church meetings serving as pivotal rallying points for this cause. The campaign in Birmingham, especially the events leading to the 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail', was instrumental in steering public opinion and policy towards civil rights reforms.