Why We Can't Wait

In “New Day in Birmingham,” King discuss the early days of the direct-action campaign in Birmingham in 1963. Although there was a general sense of racial optimism after moderate Albert Boutwell won the mayoral election, King and his cohort knew that Boutwell was still a segregationist. Even worse, ambiguities in Alabama’s election laws meant that two governments were leading the city while the courts decided whether Bull Connor and the commissioners who lost the election were right in claiming that they did not have to give up their seats to Boutwell’s administration until 1965. The SCLC’s response to the uncertainty was to limit their campaigns to modest, well-planned sit-ins.

In the meanwhile, the SCLC and local leadership led large meetings at churches to inspire the local African-American citizenry to action. Beyond the speeches, these meetings included rousingfreedom songs. These songs tapped into a desire for freedom that went all the way back to the days of slavery and that allowed even young people to face Bull Connor with courage. Another important part of the meetings was the solicitation of volunteers. Those who volunteered to be arrested had to sign a pledge to follow the precepts of nonviolence and Christianity.