In a significant move, the Trump administration has revealed a vast collection of documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including extensive FBI surveillance records. These documents, totaling 230,000 pages, had been held from public access due to a court-order since 1977. The release comes amidst controversy, as members of King's family have expressed their disapproval of making these documents public. Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, the late civil rights leader's surviving children, released a statement urging those reviewing the files to approach them with "empathy, restraint, and respect," emphasizing the ongoing pain their family feels from the loss of their father.
King Jr., a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis at the age of 39, with James Earl Ray eventually confessing to the murder but later withdrawing his confession. The Kings addressed the dark history of FBI tactics, referencing the invasive and unjust surveillance campaigns led by J. Edgar Hoover that targeted their father. They highlighted that such surveillance represented "invasions of privacy" and downplayed King’s dignity as a private citizen.
President Trump, during his campaign, had pledged to declassify documents regarding the assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and former President John F. Kennedy. In January, he signed an executive order mandating the release of various records from these high-profile cases, alongside the assassination documents of Robert F. Kennedy, contributing to a broader context of public interest regarding key events in American history.
King Jr., a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement, was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis at the age of 39, with James Earl Ray eventually confessing to the murder but later withdrawing his confession. The Kings addressed the dark history of FBI tactics, referencing the invasive and unjust surveillance campaigns led by J. Edgar Hoover that targeted their father. They highlighted that such surveillance represented "invasions of privacy" and downplayed King’s dignity as a private citizen.
President Trump, during his campaign, had pledged to declassify documents regarding the assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and former President John F. Kennedy. In January, he signed an executive order mandating the release of various records from these high-profile cases, alongside the assassination documents of Robert F. Kennedy, contributing to a broader context of public interest regarding key events in American history.
