The Trump administration has released previously withheld FBI files related to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, totaling 230,000 pages. This move, opposed by King's family, aims to illuminate past surveillance tactics while urging respect for their privacy.
Trump Administration Unveils Long-Blocked Martin Luther King Jr. Files
Trump Administration Unveils Long-Blocked Martin Luther King Jr. Files
A significant release of documents sheds light on the late civil rights leader's life amid familial concerns and historical context.
The Trump administration has recently disclosed a substantial collection of documents pertaining to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., unveiling FBI surveillance files on the renowned civil rights activist. This release, which consists of approximately 230,000 pages, comes after a court order that had kept these documents under wraps since 1977.
King's surviving children, Martin III and Bernice, expressed discontent regarding the publication of these files, stressing the need for "empathetic, restrained, and respectful" engagement with the materials, considering their family's ongoing grief. They highlighted the invasive nature of the surveillance conducted by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, describing it as a "predatory" campaign aimed at undermining their father’s legacy and dignity.
On January 2021, President Trump had committed to releasing documents linked to the assassinations of King, President John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy, leading to this significant disclosure. The King's family hopes the public will interpret the release within the broader historical context of the civil rights movement, emphasizing the profound impact and challenges King faced during his lifetime.
