A Call for Unity facts for kids
"A Call for Unity" was an open letter published in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 12, 1963. This letter was written by eight local white religious leaders. They wrote it because of the civil rights demonstrations happening in the area at that time.
In the letter, the clergymen expressed concerns about the protests. They said the events were "directed and led in part by outsiders." They asked activists to talk things over locally. They also suggested using the courts if their rights were being denied, instead of protesting.
The word "outsider" was a hint about Martin Luther King Jr.. He replied four days later with his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail." In his letter, he explained that direct action was needed to protest laws that were unfair.
The authors of "A Call for Unity" had also written another letter earlier. It was called "An Appeal for Law and Order and Common Sense." They published it in January 1963.
Who Signed "A Call for Unity"?
Eight religious leaders signed the "A Call for Unity" letter. They were important figures in their churches and communities in Alabama.
- C. C. J. Carpenter, D.D., LL.D., Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
- Joseph Aloysius Durick, D.D., Auxiliary Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Mobile, Birmingham
- Milton L. Grafman, Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, Birmingham, Alabama
- Paul Hardin, Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the Methodist Church
- Nolan Bailey Harmon, Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of the Methodist Church
- George M. Murray, D.D., LL.D., Bishop Coadjutor, Episcopal Diocese of Alabama
- Edward V. Ramage, Moderator, Synod of the Alabama Presbyterian Church in the United States
- Earl Stallings, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
