Question

Read the excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation.

What is the author’s purpose for including this sentence?
to establish the suffering experienced under segregation
to define the concept of a direct action campaign
to criticize the public officials who endorse segregation
to explain his unwillingness to postpone his efforts

Answer 1

to explain his unwillingness to postpone his efforts

King is saying that those who demand "well timed" action are usually people who haven’t felt the harms of segregation, so he cannot—and will not—delay direct action waiting for their approval.