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Do The Right Thing By Spike Lee

2240 Words9 Pages

The conflict between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.'s political ideologies is a major element in Spike Lee's landmark movie "Do the Right Thing." Through a variety of characters and exchanges, Lee contrasts the beliefs of King and Malcolm X as tensions rise in a Brooklyn neighborhood on a hot July day. In the end, the movie provides a thoughtful examination of these opposing ideologies and how they relate to combating racial injustice. America experienced a turning point in the 1950s and 1960s for the American civil rights movement, characterized by the resilient efforts of activists for racial equality. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. are two well-known figures from this movement. They stand out for having different strategies for …show more content…

as the main strategy for fighting racial injustice. As he claims in A Letter to the Birmingham Jail, “We have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure” (LFBJ, p. 2). He felt that civil disobedience and nonviolent protest may reveal the immorality of segregation and spur significant change. King's nonviolent ideology was based on the conviction that compassion and love had the power to unite people and heal racial divisions. King's strong belief in the effectiveness of ethical persuasion and group action guided his nonviolent resistance tactic. He thought that African Americans might rally support for their cause and bring about long-lasting change by appealing to the morality of the country. King's engagement in several civil rights campaigns, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Selma to Montgomery Marches, and his leadership of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) demonstrated his commitment to nonviolence. Malcolm X, on the other hand, promoted a more aggressive strategy to combat racial

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