The movie Selma took place in one of the most turbulent eras of our nation’s history. In the ’50s and ’60s, as the civil rights movement started to gain momentum, two leaders with different ideologies stood out to be most influential. The first is the movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the other by Malcolm X. Both of them acknowledged that racial segregation was the single most critical issue facing the black community and the nation as a whole. However, they have a fundamental difference in their method of approach and their delivery of consensus to the general public. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocates protesting in a peaceful civil disobedience manner. In essence, it means that people should be protesting peacefully without acts of violence or harsh confrontation with local authorities. In contrast, Malcolm X is open to the idea of achieving reform through all means necessary, including through acts of violence out of desperation. With that said, let’s quickly compare the two ideologies and determine why Martin Luther King, Jr’s method of approach is far more superior and effective compared to that of Malcolm X’s method.

To better understand the effectiveness of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach, it is essential to go back to its root and understand his main ideological concepts. As insignificant as it sounds, his first concept is the determination to fight through the various issues and challenges, no matter how hard it sounds or how difficult it may be to resolve them. An excellent example of that is within his literature piece, Letter from Birmingham Jail, in which he stated: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” (King 486) This concept may seem like common sense according to our modern-day standards. However, its enormous influence during that time is comparable to Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, during the American revolution. And just like Common Sense, it created a tidal wave of social resonation among the general public. It also further signified his unwavering determination to the civil rights cause, thereby setting a solid foundation for the later stimulation of the movement.

His second and most vital concept was his ability to arouse his audiences’ emotional empathy and sympathy by appealing to the public to sway perceptions. An excellent example of that is within the literature Letter from Birmingham Jail, where he repeatedly pled to the silent beast, what he calls the “white moderates,” to act. In doing so, he successfully captured the white liberals’ sympathetic feelings towards the black communities and stoked their utter disgust against the desecrating behaviors from people of their same skin color—meanwhile challenging them to step outside of their comfort zone and help break this status quo. Most famously through his renowned, I Have a Dream speech.

His third and final concept was his meticulous use of television broadcasting services to stir controversies and use it against the state of Alabama and Governor Wallace. An exceptional example of this concept in action was within the movie Selma. After witnessing the state troopers’ total hostility and brutal beating of innocent and non-violent black protestors, it created a permanent damaging impression for the state of Alabama in front of all televisions viewers in the country. Instead of deescalating the situation, it adds more resentment and outcry across the white liberal populations across the country. In turn, it further strengthened the people’s will and pressure on the government to pass civil rights reforms.

On the other hand, despite having an excellent sense of humor and good charisma, Malcolm X failed to create a similar resonation among the general public in his famous The Ballot or the Bullet speech compared to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech. Instead, it has an entirely different impression in people’s minds, especially in the group of people that Martin  Luther King, Jr calls “moderate whites.” Although, within his speech, he did not incite violence or direct hate towards any particular group of people. It did, however, stoke quite a lot of divisive and hateful rhetorics that may sound like a fearmongering tactic to many liberal whites at that time. Hence, he failed to garnish enough supports from these moderate individuals to help him push the government to pass a robust and meaningful legislative bill that advances civil rights.

In conclusion, it is vastly apparent that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach was way more acceptable to the general public than Malcolm X’s approach during the civil rights movements in the ’50s and ’60s. However, we still should not discredit Malcolm X’s efforts as insignificant. He is still a well-respected civil rights leader who has contributed his dedication and time that eventually led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. The national holiday also speaks for itself as Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federally observed holiday that is celebrated all over the country in remembrance of his legacies. After all, convincing a group of people to love and be inclusive is a much more challenging task to achieve than telling people to hate and stay divisive.