Published on January 17, 2024, 12:09 am

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sought to honor the late Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday. However, reminders soon surfaced about the FBI’s past involvement in wiretapping MLK. This information spreading across communities serves as an example of how real news often divulges complex and unexpected aspects of history.

On Martin Luther King Day, the FBI shared a photo contrasting the iconic Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial with the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. The caption accompanying the picture paid tribute to one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and reiterated their commitment to Dr. King’s legacy of fairness and equal justice for all.

However, a community-based reminder swiftly followed this post highlighting some concerning historical facts that connect the FBI and Dr. King negatively. Citing multiple articles from major trusted news outlets like National Public Radio and CBS News, it was pointed out that “The FBI engaged in surveillance of Dr. King, attempted to discredit him, and used manipulation tactics to encourage him to cease organizing events against racial injustice.”

In fact, many within Dr.King’s family believe that his 1968 assassination was not just an act by a lone shooter but orchestrated by more powerful forces – including potentially FBI involvement.

A court case conducted in December 1999 led to a jury verdict indicating that Dr.King had been a victim of conspiracy when he was fatally shot. More shocking revelations came forth during this trial period through legal representatives for King’s family who claimed there has been a cover-up following his assassination involving entities such as the CIA, U.S army intelligence agencies, some media channels along with previously mentioned FBI.

In exploring this complex side story relating to civil rights movements’ history; Sam Pollard – documentary filmmaker opted on unveiling some unsaid aspects about FBI’s interest into MLK based endeavors through his 2020 film titled “MLK/FBI.” According to Pollard, J. Edgar Hoover, the then FBI director lived in fear of Dr.King aligning with the Communist Party. Being anti-communism drove Hoover into an obsession with discrediting King’s image.

Looking through this lens, one can understand how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his family by stating their role in approving wiretaps on Dr. King during a POLITICO interview before commemorating MLK day. He stated that these actions were essentially them trying to save both Civil Rights Movement along with their careers while also keeping a check on Hoover’s discontentment towards King.

The unfolding of these historical events is a testament to the veracity and significant value that real news derived from trusted sources provide which allows society to maintain informed perspectives aligned with a Christian worldview that propounds fairness and justice for all.