While in Birmingham, Alabama, King was jailed for the thirteenth time on April 12, 1963, for disobeying a court order. The court order had been issued to try and stop King from continuing his protests. In the Birmingham jail, King wrote his famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." Written on toilet paper, newspaper, and with a smuggled pen, the letter was widely published. The letter earned King and his a fellow Civil Rights leader Reverend Ralph David Abernathy their release.

On May 2 that same year, over 1000 African-American children marched in the Children's Crusade. Singing "We Shall Overcome," the children were sprayed with water from high-power hoses that could blast off clothing. They also attacked by vicious German shepherds. By the end of the day, police (under the order of Eugene "Bull" Connor) had arrested 959 boys and girls.

Images of the attacks were shown on national television and in newspapers. These pictures conveyed powerful messages, and many Americans became disgusted by what they saw. As in instances elsewhere, the police had not protected the protesters, but had helped to attack them instead. Power holders such as Alabama Governor George Wallace and police chief Eugene "Bull" Connor were usually at the head of such orders.

A few days after the Children's Crusade, new marchers were hosed. When the police received no retaliation, the marchers were allowed to continue onward with their march. This continuation seemed to symbolize the constant reforms that were achieved by using peaceful protest. By choosing to break away at the wall of segregation in Birmingham, the SCLC and many African A mericans had risked their lives. But when a meeting between white and black leaders took place on May 10, 1963, however, African Americans knew that it had been well worth the effort.