The FBI attempted to join the chorus of individuals and groups remembering the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a post on X/Twitter on Jan. 15. However, the organization’s post would soon be served with a fact-checker’s version of a clapback. Using the social media platform’s Community Notes feature, users pointed out that the FBI had been involved in surveillance, the discrediting of King’s work, and attempts to stop him from organizing, before finally noting that the King family believed the FBI was responsible for his death.
The FBI tweeted, “This MLKDay, the FBI honors one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and reaffirms its commitment to Dr. King’s legacy of fairness and equal justice for all.”
Underneath the post was a community note reading, “The FBI engaged in surveillance of King, attempted to discredit him, and used manipulation tactics to influence him to stop organizing. King’s family believe the FBI was responsible for his death.”
Users of the platform also rated the note as helpful, saying it was a clear and concise rebuttal of the FBI’s post.
Pollard also commented on an anonymous letter sent to King that appeared to have been written by someone close to King. “They were trying to make it
sound like it was not only a former associate but a ‘Negro’ who wrote that letter,” said Pollard. “This is supposed to be the nation’s police, that’s supposed to be doing the right thing, and this is the lengths they’ll go to destroy a human being? It’s awful.”A second, older source cited a CBS News report from 1999, in which Coretta Scott King responded to a jury that determined Dr. King was the victim of a vast conspiracy against his life and not merely the actions of lone shooter James Earl Ray. Scott King implored the Justice Department to take up a new investigation into her husband’s murder, telling CBS’ “Early Show” anchor Bryant Gumbel, “I think that if people will look at the evidence that we have, it’s conclusive and I think the Justice Department has a responsibility to do what it feels is the right thing to do, the just thing to do.”
Dexter King, a son of Dr. King, led his family‘s search for the truth, telling CBS News at the time, “It’s been painful and also has been bittersweet. Bitter because of the tragedy, obviously, but liberating in the sense and sweet that we have been vindicated and ultimately that the significant of this historical verdict that really rewrites history is liberating. Now we can move on with our lives, have a sense of closure and healing.”
HuffPost contacted the FBI’s national press office for comment and received a statement from the organization reading, “The FBI has long acknowledged the abuses of power that took place under Director J. Edgar Hoover and the deplorable actions taken against Dr. King and others involved in the civil rights movement. Today, the FBI honors Dr. King’s life and legacy and uses those lessons from our past to reaffirm our commitment to equal justice, fairness, and diversity.”
Users on X/Twitter didn’t seem to buy the FBI’s attempts at honoring King. Nor were others with questionable commitments to the social justice espoused by the Civil Rights icon spared. President Joe Biden, Senator Mitch McConnell, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott were among the political figures who tweeted MLK posts and received pointed commentary from users on the social media platform.
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