I guess I am not sure what you mean by essential, but he was a more successful civil rights leader because of his ability to appeal to white Americans.
Although the Civil Rights Movement was driven by the efforts of black people, the movement could only succeed with white support. This is a basic truth in a country that, in those days, was more than 80% white.
Martin Luther King appealed to moderate whites. His message of nonviolence and universal brotherhood was an attractive message. He was a Christian minister, educated and middle class.
Malcolm X was an ex-convict who was, especially early on, anti-white. He was a black nationalist, uneducated, and Muslim.
Because of their different backgrounds and different attitudes, King could be much more persuasive to white audiences.
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