King's critics wrote that he was "imprudent and inopportune" in his pursuit of direct action and that he should have "waited" for change, King explains that "this 'wait' almost always meant 'Never'." This short statement is particularly striking when followed by a long paragraph detailing injustices committed against African Americans, including lynching and drowning. In his descriptions, King uses family terms such as "mother" and "father", which are words that typically elicit an emotional response from the audience. Describing his family in such terrible situations would surely drive home the point that the African American community can't do this. "wait" more for a freedom that will probably never be given to them