Martin Luther King uses a polite tone to write a letter to his fellow clergyman, answering their statement in "patient and reasonable" terms. King, along with several members of his staff, is there because there is injustice. King alludes to the Apostle Paul by explaining that "just as he left his village of Tarsus", he is going outside his hometown because injustice in Birmingham is a threat to justice everywhere. King says it is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham but even more unfortunate that the white power structure left them with no alternative.
They went through the four basic steps of any nonviolent campaign in Birmingham. They collected facts to see if injustices existed. They negotiated, under went self-purification, and took direct action. Due to the widely known record of brutality in Birmingham, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city's leaders. However, they refused to negotiate in good faith.
Last September, they met with the Birmingham's economic community to negotiate. The merchants made promises on the basis of an end to the demonstrations. A few months passed and the merchants" promises were not kept. King uses diction to explain that their "hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon them.".
They decided to prepare for direct action and scheduled their program for the Easter season. With Birmingham's Mayoral Election coming up in March and other delays, they kept postponing the program.
King decided their direct action program could not be delayed anymore. They decided to take non-violent direct action in order to dramatize the issue so much that it could no longer be ignored. King uses a metaphor of a mountain to clarify that the tension they create in society will "help men rise up from the depths of prejudice and racism." They have been waiting too long, and there is never a good time for a direct action campaign.