Gay Pley Sehon - W. Page Pt School of Journalism & Mass Communitns

Contents:

• GAY PLEY SEHON
• HOW THE FBI TRIED TO DRIVE MART LUTHER KG TO SUICISMEAR CAMPAIGNHOWARD SOCHUREK/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTN VIA GETTYA NEW DOCUMENTARY OFFERS AN ANATOMY OF THE MOTIVATNS OF J. EDGAR HOOVER’S UNHGED EFFORTS TO SMEAR MLK, CLUDG THROUGH TERVIEWS WH KG’S NFIDANTS.MELISSA LEONUPDATED NOV. 15, 2020 5:54AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 15, 2020 5:03AM EST LAST YEAR, AN EXPLOSIVE TROVE OF ALLEGED RMATN ABOUT THE PRIVATE LIFE OF MART LUTHER KG, JR. BEME AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME WRTEN FBI REPORTS AND SURVEILLANCE SUMMARI.QUIETLY UPLOAD TO THE NATNAL ARCHIV’ WEBSE AND BURIED AMONG TENS OF THOANDS OF ERNMENT DOCUMENTS, THE REPORTS REVEALED THE CRAZED LENGTHS TO WHICH J. EDGAR HOOVER’S FBI WENT TO SURVEIL, HARASS, AND EVEN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE KG TO SUICI—ALL TO EXPOSE WHAT HOOVER AND HIS G-MEN CLAIMED A RACIST PANIC AS THE HYPOCRISY OF A NATN’S MORAL LEAR ENGAGG “GENERATE” SEXUAL ACTS PRIVATE. THE MARRIED CIVIL-RIGHTS IN AND FATHER OF FOUR HAD EXTRAMARAL AFFAIRS DURG HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE UNTRY; THAT MUCH IS KNOWN, AFFIRMED BY SOME OF HIS CLOST SURVIVG NFIDANTS.THE TTH OF THE RT OF IS HAZIER. BUT SEVEN YEARS, WHEN THE RT OF THE FBI’S FILE ON KG IS UNSEALED, THERE WILL LIKELY BE EXHSTIVE SCTY OF THE MATERIALS’ GRIMMT ALLEGATN, VOLVG RAPE. IT WILL BE IMPORTANT THAT WHEN THE TIME , THE PLETE, OFTEN MADNG HISTORY OF KG’S GHT RELATNSHIP WH THE FBI IS NOT FOTTEN. DIRECTOR SAM POLLARD’S UPG DOCUMENTARY MLK/FBI, NOW PLAYG VIA THE DOC NYC FTIVAL AND PLANNED FOR A JANUARY RELEASE OM IFC FILMS, VOT SELF TO EXAMG THAT HISTORY THROUGH A WI LENS. IT SUPPLI WHAT SOME OF THE SENSATNALIZED IAL RPONS TO THE FBI REPORTS NEGLECTED, NAMELY A JTIFIABLE SKEPTICISM OF THE FBI’S SURVEILLANCE AND RERDG METHODS AND AN EMPHASIS ON THE RACIST FEARS BEHD HOOVER’S MISSN TO STROY KG AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. RATHER THAN SIMPLY RELAY THE FBI’S LURID VERSN OF KG’S SEX LIFE, PATS A PORTRA OF A REVOLUTNARY MORE PLITED—AND NTROVERSIAL HIS TIME—THAN THE RCTIVE, OFT-SANIZED AVATAR OF NONVLENCE TROTTED OUT EVERY YEAR FOR SOCIAL MEDIA LIK (OFTEN BY THE VERY SAME POLICIANS ACTIVELY WORKG AGAST WHAT KG FOUGHT TO ACHIEVE). THE FILM IS STGGLY RONANT 2020 AMID A RURGENT MOVEMENT AGAST POLICE BTALY AND RACIAL EQUY, AND A NEW GENERATN OF PROTTERS TARGETED BY STATE VLENCE. IT OFFERS A SOBERG IF ALSO GALVANIZG REMR OF HOW ADAMANTLY U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT STUTNS HAVE HISTORILLY OPPOSED THE FIGHT FOR BLACK AND POOR PEOPL’ CIVIL RIGHTS, AND HOW ENDURG THE MOVEMENT IS SPE THAT. THROUGH ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TERVIEWS WH HISTORIANS AND A HANDFUL OF EX-FBI AGENTS AND KG’S SURVIVG NFIDANT, THE FILM ILLUMAT A STARK PICTURE OF HOW WHE AMERI’S FEAR OF SOCIAL PROGRS IS NO TMP-ADJACENT ANOMALY— IS A DAMNG FOUNDG ELEMENT OF OUR MASTREAM POLIL ORR.MLK/FBI OFFERS PART AN ANATOMY OF THE MOTIVATNS OF J. EDGAR HOOVER’S FBI, A FORCE HOOVER REMA HIS OWN WHE, NSERVATIVE IMAGE DURG HIS S-LONG REIGN AS DIRECTOR. IN THE ’60S, THE BURE’S BORRLE LAWLS COINTELPRO (COUNTERTELLIGENCE PROGRAM) HAD EXPLICLY OUTLED AS ONE OF S PRIMARY GOALS THE PREVENTN OF THE RISE OF A BLACK “MSIAH.” AFTER OBSERVG THE ELECTRIFYG EFFECT OF KG’S “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH AT THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHGTON, THE BURE’S SEND--MAND AND HEAD OF DOMTIC TELLIGENCE WILLIAM C. SULLIVAN SENT OUT AN URGENT MEMO ABOUT KG: “WE MT MARK HIM NOW AS THE MOST DANGERO NEGRO THE FUTURE OF THIS NATN.” PART OF HIS FEARS NCERNED MUNISM. WH PERMISSN OM ATTORNEY GENERAL ROBERT KENNEDY, THE FBI HAD BEGUN WIRETAPPG A IEND OF KG’S, A LAWYER NAMED STANLEY LEVISON. A PROGRSIVE WHE JEWISH ACTIVIST, LEVISON HAPPENED TO BE A FORMER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY USA AND HELPED ANIZE AND WRE SPEECH FOR KG. HOOVER’S FEAR THAT BLACK AMERINS WOULD FALL UNR THE FLUENCE OF MUNISM SPURRED THE PRINT AT THE TIME, JOHN F. KENNEDY, TO ADVISE KG TO BREAK TI WH LEVISON. KG ASSURED HIM HE WOULD. BUT THE WIRETAP REVEALED THE TWO STAYG TOUCH LONG AFTER KG’S PROMISE.THE CEPTN WAS ENOUGH TO NVCE BOBBY KENNEDY, UNR PRSURE OM HOOVER, TO THORIZE A WIRETAP ON KG HIMSELF ATLANTA AT HIS HOME AND AT THE OFFIC OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEARSHIP CONFERENCE (SCLC). NEHER HOOVER NOR SULLIVAN MENTNED TO KENNEDY THAT THE BURE HAD SHIFTED S PRRY OM SNIFFG OUT KG’S POTENTIAL MUNIST FLUENC TO EXPOSG THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEAR’S PRIVATE LIFE.THE BURE HAD REALIZED ULD EXPLO KG’S PERSONAL LIFE BY ACCINT—A CHANCE LL KG MA WHILE STAYG AT THE HOME OF ANOTHER IEND THE FBI HAD WIRETAPPED, ATTORNEY AND SPEECHWRER CLARENCE JON, TIPPED THEM OFF. JON HIMSELF KNEW HIS HOME HAD BEEN WIRETAPPED, AND RELLS HIS SUBSEQUENT MONTHS AND YEARS OF SPICN THAT THE FBI WAS SPYG ON KG, TOO. HE SAYS KG BEME ANNOYED AT HIM FOR . “CLARENCE, DON’T YOU KNOW THE FBI’S GOT BETTER AND MORE IMPORTANT THGS TO DO THAN WIRETAP OUR PHON?” HE SAYS KG TOLD HIM. NEHER WERE AWARE THAT THE BURE HAD SCE MOVED ON TO FOLLOWG KG ACROSS THE UNTRY, PAYG RMANTS FOR HIS NEXT WHEREABOUTS, AND PLACG BUGS HIS HOTEL ROOMS AND LISTENG OM THE ROOM NEXT DOOR. ADVERTISEMENT “NEHER WERE AWARE THAT THE BURE HAD SCE MOVED ON TO FOLLOWG KG ACROSS THE UNTRY, PAYG RMANTS FOR HIS NEXT WHEREABOUTS, AND PLACG BUGS HIS HOTEL ROOMS AND LISTENG OM THE ROOM NEXT DOOR.” THAT CHANGED THE DAY THAT AN ENVELOPE WH NO RETURN ADDRS, NTAG A TAPE OF ALLEGED RERDGS OF KG HAVG SEX WH WOMEN HOTELS, ARRIVED AT THE HOME KG SHARED WH HIS WIFE, CORETTA. ALONG WH ME AN ANONYMO NOTE OM A FICTNAL EX-ADMIRER ( REALY PENNED BY SULLIVAN MASQUERADG AS ONE OF “ NEGROS”) LLG KG A “BEAST,” “SEXUALLY PSYCHOTIC,” AND A “D.” IT SAID “I KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE” AND GAVE KG A 34-DAY ADLE. KG UNRSTOOD THE IMPLITN: THE WRER WANTED HIM TO KILL HIMSELF.“WE ALWAYS ASSUMED WHO WAS BEHD ,” SAYS ANDREW YOUNG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SCLC AND A CLOSE IEND OF KG’S. THAT ADLE ME AND WENT WH NO REPERCSNS. BUT KG LIVED OM THEN ON FEAR OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE BEG EXPOSED. HOOVER, MEANWHILE, BEME OBSSED—AND CREASGLY TRATED THAT NO CHURCH NOR PRS OUTLET HE KEPT BAG WH RMATN WOULD BE.HOOVER’S ALARM HEIGHTENED WHEN 1968, KG ANNOUNCED THE POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN, WHICH WOULD BRG POOR AMERINS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER TO MARCH ON WASHGTON, D.C.: “BLACKS, MEXIN AMERINS, AMERIN INDIANS, PUERTO RINS, APPALACHIAN WH, ALL WORKG TOGETHER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY.” WH THE MARCH ON THE FBI’S HOME TURF APPROACHG, SULLIVAN LVED BACK TO THE FBI’S PRIMARY SURVEILLANCE REPORT ON KG, THE ONE HE TEND TO E TO DICT HIM. HE BEGAN SCRIBBLG HANDWRTEN NOT THE MARGS. NEXT TO A SECTN THAT SCRIBED ANOTHER BAPTIST MISTER’S ALLEGED RAPE OF A FEMALE PARISHNER A D.C. HOTEL ROOM 1964, SULLIVAN WROTE, “KG LOOKED ON AND LGHED AND OFFERED ADVICE.” IT IS THE MOST CENDIARY ALLEGATN THE DOCUMENT, AND ONE THAT WH A HOST OF RED FLAGS. “IT IS THE MOST CENDIARY ALLEGATN THE DOCUMENT, AND ONE THAT WH A HOST OF RED FLAGS.” IT WAS NOT A VICTIM WHO MA THIS ALLEGATN; WAS THE FBI, THE FILM REMDS . AND AGENTS LIKE THE ON LISTENG THE NEXT ROOM WERE REWARD FOR BRGG RMATN ABOUT KG THAT ADHERED TO HOOVER AND SULLIVAN’S VIEW OF HIM AS A SEXUAL MONSTER. THE NOT ARE BASED ON D RERDGS—BUT THE NOTE ALLEG THAT KG “LOOKED ON.” HOW ULD SULLIVAN OR THE AGENTS HAVE KNOWN THAT? THE AGENTS, OTHER WORDS, ME TO A LOT OF NCLNS BASED ON THEIR OWN SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENTS. THE TIMG OF THE NOTE SELF IS ODD; IF THE AGENTS THE HOTEL ROOM HAD OBSERVED THEIR MA TARGET M SOMETHG SO HEO, WHY WASN’T THE ORIGAL REPORT? AND IF THE RAPE DID OCCUR, DID THE AGENTS SIMPLY LISTEN OM THE ROOM NEXT DOOR AND DO NOTHG? ADVERTISEMENT THE TAP AND PLETE TRANSCRIPTS ON WHICH THE FBI BASED S SUMMARI AND REPORTS ARE UNR SEAL UNTIL FEBARY 2027, LEAVG THE QUTN OF THAT RAPE ALLEGATN UNROLVED. IN S PLACE, MLK/FBI OFFERS A CCIAL PORTRA OF POPULAR PREJUDIC AGAST KG AND BLACK AMERINS AT THE TIME, THE KD HOOVER AND SULLIVAN SHARED. IT IS THE NTEXT AGAST WHICH THEIR BURE’S ALLEGATNS MT BE WEIGHED. DR. MART LUTHER KG, JR. ADDRS CROWDS DURG THE MARCH ON WASHGTON AT THE LLN MEMORIAL, WASHGTON D.C., WHERE HE GAVE HIS 'I HAVE A DREAM' SPEECH.CENTRAL PRS/GETTY AMONG THOSE PREJUDIC: THE AMERIN TRADN OF MONIZG BLACK MALE SEXUALY. THE VIEW THAT BLACK PEOPLE, ASKG NOT SIMPLY FOR TOKEN TEGRATN BUT FOR TOTAL TEGRATN AND EQUAL RIGHTS, WERE MANDG TOO MUCH. THE STUBBORN BELIEF THAT POLICE WERE JTIFIED THEIR VLENT, UNPROVOKED ATTACKS ON PEACEFUL PROTTERS. THE SNI IA THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAD SIMPLY TO LIFT THEMSELV BY THEIR OWN BOOTSTRAPS, IGNORG THE POVERTY THAT SLAVERY AND SEGREGATN LEFT BEHD. “IT’S A CEL JT TO SAY TO A BOOTLS MAN THAT HE OUGHT TO LIFT HIMSELF BY HIS OWN BOOTSTRAPS,” AS KG SAID.POLLARD CLUS NEWSREELS OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE ON THE STREET VOICG THEIR OPNS ABOUT KG. “HE’S TOO BOSSY. THKS HE’S TOO SMART,” AN OLR WHE WOMAN SAYS, WRKLG HER NOSE. “ALL THE TROUBLE HE’S ED THIS UNTRY, ALL THIS RTG AND THGS. I THK HE’S ABOUT THE WORST—IF HE IS A HUMAN, ABOUT THE WORST THE WORLD,” OP A SOUTHERN BLOND MAN HIS THIRTI.IN A TELEVISED TERVIEW, JOURNALIST GAY PLEY SEHON, SMIRKG THE WHOLE WAY, TRI TO MAKE KG ANSWER FOR WHY “THE NONVLENCE ALWAYS ENDS WH VLENCE.” SHE ASKS WHETHER HE IS SOWG “RENTMENT” AMONG WH, “A FEELG THAT THE NEGRO IS MOVG TOO RAPIDLY, ASKG TOO MUCH TOO SUDNLY.” IT IS ALL AS SELFISH AND IGNORANT—YET FAIAR—AS THE NSERVATIVE OPPOSN TO TODAY’S CIVIL-RIGHTS MOVEMENTS. IN THAT WAY, MLK/FBI IS AS MUCH ABOUT THE ERNMENT PERSECUTN OF KG AS IS ABOUT THE TIMELSNS OF WHE AMERI’S FEAR OF CHANGE. MELISSA LEON

GAY PLEY SEHON

Mart Luther Kg Jr., nducted by journalist Gay Pley. Hired immediately after graduatg om Marshall’s journalism program, Gay Pley Sehon started a 42-year reer wh Uned Prs Internatnal. When the Supreme Court "stck down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act" (per The Washgton Post) July 2015, effectively lg favor of gay marriage, was the oute Perrette and many other LGBTQ+ activists had long awaed.

HOW THE FBI TRIED TO DRIVE MART LUTHER KG TO SUICISMEAR CAMPAIGNHOWARD SOCHUREK/THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTN VIA GETTYA NEW DOCUMENTARY OFFERS AN ANATOMY OF THE MOTIVATNS OF J. EDGAR HOOVER’S UNHGED EFFORTS TO SMEAR MLK, CLUDG THROUGH TERVIEWS WH KG’S NFIDANTS.MELISSA LEONUPDATED NOV. 15, 2020 5:54AM EST / PUBLISHED NOV. 15, 2020 5:03AM EST LAST YEAR, AN EXPLOSIVE TROVE OF ALLEGED RMATN ABOUT THE PRIVATE LIFE OF MART LUTHER KG, JR. BEME AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME WRTEN FBI REPORTS AND SURVEILLANCE SUMMARI.QUIETLY UPLOAD TO THE NATNAL ARCHIV’ WEBSE AND BURIED AMONG TENS OF THOANDS OF ERNMENT DOCUMENTS, THE REPORTS REVEALED THE CRAZED LENGTHS TO WHICH J. EDGAR HOOVER’S FBI WENT TO SURVEIL, HARASS, AND EVEN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE KG TO SUICI—ALL TO EXPOSE WHAT HOOVER AND HIS G-MEN CLAIMED A RACIST PANIC AS THE HYPOCRISY OF A NATN’S MORAL LEAR ENGAGG “GENERATE” SEXUAL ACTS PRIVATE. THE MARRIED CIVIL-RIGHTS IN AND FATHER OF FOUR HAD EXTRAMARAL AFFAIRS DURG HIS TRAVELS ACROSS THE UNTRY; THAT MUCH IS KNOWN, AFFIRMED BY SOME OF HIS CLOST SURVIVG NFIDANTS.THE TTH OF THE RT OF IS HAZIER. BUT SEVEN YEARS, WHEN THE RT OF THE FBI’S FILE ON KG IS UNSEALED, THERE WILL LIKELY BE EXHSTIVE SCTY OF THE MATERIALS’ GRIMMT ALLEGATN, VOLVG RAPE. IT WILL BE IMPORTANT THAT WHEN THE TIME , THE PLETE, OFTEN MADNG HISTORY OF KG’S GHT RELATNSHIP WH THE FBI IS NOT FOTTEN. DIRECTOR SAM POLLARD’S UPG DOCUMENTARY MLK/FBI, NOW PLAYG VIA THE DOC NYC FTIVAL AND PLANNED FOR A JANUARY RELEASE OM IFC FILMS, VOT SELF TO EXAMG THAT HISTORY THROUGH A WI LENS. IT SUPPLI WHAT SOME OF THE SENSATNALIZED IAL RPONS TO THE FBI REPORTS NEGLECTED, NAMELY A JTIFIABLE SKEPTICISM OF THE FBI’S SURVEILLANCE AND RERDG METHODS AND AN EMPHASIS ON THE RACIST FEARS BEHD HOOVER’S MISSN TO STROY KG AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. RATHER THAN SIMPLY RELAY THE FBI’S LURID VERSN OF KG’S SEX LIFE, PATS A PORTRA OF A REVOLUTNARY MORE PLITED—AND NTROVERSIAL HIS TIME—THAN THE RCTIVE, OFT-SANIZED AVATAR OF NONVLENCE TROTTED OUT EVERY YEAR FOR SOCIAL MEDIA LIK (OFTEN BY THE VERY SAME POLICIANS ACTIVELY WORKG AGAST WHAT KG FOUGHT TO ACHIEVE). THE FILM IS STGGLY RONANT 2020 AMID A RURGENT MOVEMENT AGAST POLICE BTALY AND RACIAL EQUY, AND A NEW GENERATN OF PROTTERS TARGETED BY STATE VLENCE. IT OFFERS A SOBERG IF ALSO GALVANIZG REMR OF HOW ADAMANTLY U.S. LAW ENFORCEMENT STUTNS HAVE HISTORILLY OPPOSED THE FIGHT FOR BLACK AND POOR PEOPL’ CIVIL RIGHTS, AND HOW ENDURG THE MOVEMENT IS SPE THAT. THROUGH ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND TERVIEWS WH HISTORIANS AND A HANDFUL OF EX-FBI AGENTS AND KG’S SURVIVG NFIDANT, THE FILM ILLUMAT A STARK PICTURE OF HOW WHE AMERI’S FEAR OF SOCIAL PROGRS IS NO TMP-ADJACENT ANOMALY— IS A DAMNG FOUNDG ELEMENT OF OUR MASTREAM POLIL ORR.MLK/FBI OFFERS PART AN ANATOMY OF THE MOTIVATNS OF J. EDGAR HOOVER’S FBI, A FORCE HOOVER REMA HIS OWN WHE, NSERVATIVE IMAGE DURG HIS S-LONG REIGN AS DIRECTOR. IN THE ’60S, THE BURE’S BORRLE LAWLS COINTELPRO (COUNTERTELLIGENCE PROGRAM) HAD EXPLICLY OUTLED AS ONE OF S PRIMARY GOALS THE PREVENTN OF THE RISE OF A BLACK “MSIAH.” AFTER OBSERVG THE ELECTRIFYG EFFECT OF KG’S “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH AT THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHGTON, THE BURE’S SEND--MAND AND HEAD OF DOMTIC TELLIGENCE WILLIAM C. SULLIVAN SENT OUT AN URGENT MEMO ABOUT KG: “WE MT MARK HIM NOW AS THE MOST DANGERO NEGRO THE FUTURE OF THIS NATN.” PART OF HIS FEARS NCERNED MUNISM. WH PERMISSN OM ATTORNEY GENERAL ROBERT KENNEDY, THE FBI HAD BEGUN WIRETAPPG A IEND OF KG’S, A LAWYER NAMED STANLEY LEVISON. A PROGRSIVE WHE JEWISH ACTIVIST, LEVISON HAPPENED TO BE A FORMER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY USA AND HELPED ANIZE AND WRE SPEECH FOR KG. HOOVER’S FEAR THAT BLACK AMERINS WOULD FALL UNR THE FLUENCE OF MUNISM SPURRED THE PRINT AT THE TIME, JOHN F. KENNEDY, TO ADVISE KG TO BREAK TI WH LEVISON. KG ASSURED HIM HE WOULD. BUT THE WIRETAP REVEALED THE TWO STAYG TOUCH LONG AFTER KG’S PROMISE.THE CEPTN WAS ENOUGH TO NVCE BOBBY KENNEDY, UNR PRSURE OM HOOVER, TO THORIZE A WIRETAP ON KG HIMSELF ATLANTA AT HIS HOME AND AT THE OFFIC OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEARSHIP CONFERENCE (SCLC). NEHER HOOVER NOR SULLIVAN MENTNED TO KENNEDY THAT THE BURE HAD SHIFTED S PRRY OM SNIFFG OUT KG’S POTENTIAL MUNIST FLUENC TO EXPOSG THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEAR’S PRIVATE LIFE.THE BURE HAD REALIZED ULD EXPLO KG’S PERSONAL LIFE BY ACCINT—A CHANCE LL KG MA WHILE STAYG AT THE HOME OF ANOTHER IEND THE FBI HAD WIRETAPPED, ATTORNEY AND SPEECHWRER CLARENCE JON, TIPPED THEM OFF. JON HIMSELF KNEW HIS HOME HAD BEEN WIRETAPPED, AND RELLS HIS SUBSEQUENT MONTHS AND YEARS OF SPICN THAT THE FBI WAS SPYG ON KG, TOO. HE SAYS KG BEME ANNOYED AT HIM FOR . “CLARENCE, DON’T YOU KNOW THE FBI’S GOT BETTER AND MORE IMPORTANT THGS TO DO THAN WIRETAP OUR PHON?” HE SAYS KG TOLD HIM. NEHER WERE AWARE THAT THE BURE HAD SCE MOVED ON TO FOLLOWG KG ACROSS THE UNTRY, PAYG RMANTS FOR HIS NEXT WHEREABOUTS, AND PLACG BUGS HIS HOTEL ROOMS AND LISTENG OM THE ROOM NEXT DOOR. ADVERTISEMENT “NEHER WERE AWARE THAT THE BURE HAD SCE MOVED ON TO FOLLOWG KG ACROSS THE UNTRY, PAYG RMANTS FOR HIS NEXT WHEREABOUTS, AND PLACG BUGS HIS HOTEL ROOMS AND LISTENG OM THE ROOM NEXT DOOR.” THAT CHANGED THE DAY THAT AN ENVELOPE WH NO RETURN ADDRS, NTAG A TAPE OF ALLEGED RERDGS OF KG HAVG SEX WH WOMEN HOTELS, ARRIVED AT THE HOME KG SHARED WH HIS WIFE, CORETTA. ALONG WH ME AN ANONYMO NOTE OM A FICTNAL EX-ADMIRER ( REALY PENNED BY SULLIVAN MASQUERADG AS ONE OF “ NEGROS”) LLG KG A “BEAST,” “SEXUALLY PSYCHOTIC,” AND A “D.” IT SAID “I KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE” AND GAVE KG A 34-DAY ADLE. KG UNRSTOOD THE IMPLITN: THE WRER WANTED HIM TO KILL HIMSELF.“WE ALWAYS ASSUMED WHO WAS BEHD ,” SAYS ANDREW YOUNG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SCLC AND A CLOSE IEND OF KG’S. THAT ADLE ME AND WENT WH NO REPERCSNS. BUT KG LIVED OM THEN ON FEAR OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE BEG EXPOSED. HOOVER, MEANWHILE, BEME OBSSED—AND CREASGLY TRATED THAT NO CHURCH NOR PRS OUTLET HE KEPT BAG WH RMATN WOULD BE.HOOVER’S ALARM HEIGHTENED WHEN 1968, KG ANNOUNCED THE POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN, WHICH WOULD BRG POOR AMERINS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER TO MARCH ON WASHGTON, D.C.: “BLACKS, MEXIN AMERINS, AMERIN INDIANS, PUERTO RINS, APPALACHIAN WH, ALL WORKG TOGETHER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY.” WH THE MARCH ON THE FBI’S HOME TURF APPROACHG, SULLIVAN LVED BACK TO THE FBI’S PRIMARY SURVEILLANCE REPORT ON KG, THE ONE HE TEND TO E TO DICT HIM. HE BEGAN SCRIBBLG HANDWRTEN NOT THE MARGS. NEXT TO A SECTN THAT SCRIBED ANOTHER BAPTIST MISTER’S ALLEGED RAPE OF A FEMALE PARISHNER A D.C. HOTEL ROOM 1964, SULLIVAN WROTE, “KG LOOKED ON AND LGHED AND OFFERED ADVICE.” IT IS THE MOST CENDIARY ALLEGATN THE DOCUMENT, AND ONE THAT WH A HOST OF RED FLAGS. “IT IS THE MOST CENDIARY ALLEGATN THE DOCUMENT, AND ONE THAT WH A HOST OF RED FLAGS.” IT WAS NOT A VICTIM WHO MA THIS ALLEGATN; WAS THE FBI, THE FILM REMDS . AND AGENTS LIKE THE ON LISTENG THE NEXT ROOM WERE REWARD FOR BRGG RMATN ABOUT KG THAT ADHERED TO HOOVER AND SULLIVAN’S VIEW OF HIM AS A SEXUAL MONSTER. THE NOT ARE BASED ON D RERDGS—BUT THE NOTE ALLEG THAT KG “LOOKED ON.” HOW ULD SULLIVAN OR THE AGENTS HAVE KNOWN THAT? THE AGENTS, OTHER WORDS, ME TO A LOT OF NCLNS BASED ON THEIR OWN SUBJECTIVE JUDGMENTS. THE TIMG OF THE NOTE SELF IS ODD; IF THE AGENTS THE HOTEL ROOM HAD OBSERVED THEIR MA TARGET M SOMETHG SO HEO, WHY WASN’T THE ORIGAL REPORT? AND IF THE RAPE DID OCCUR, DID THE AGENTS SIMPLY LISTEN OM THE ROOM NEXT DOOR AND DO NOTHG? ADVERTISEMENT THE TAP AND PLETE TRANSCRIPTS ON WHICH THE FBI BASED S SUMMARI AND REPORTS ARE UNR SEAL UNTIL FEBARY 2027, LEAVG THE QUTN OF THAT RAPE ALLEGATN UNROLVED. IN S PLACE, MLK/FBI OFFERS A CCIAL PORTRA OF POPULAR PREJUDIC AGAST KG AND BLACK AMERINS AT THE TIME, THE KD HOOVER AND SULLIVAN SHARED. IT IS THE NTEXT AGAST WHICH THEIR BURE’S ALLEGATNS MT BE WEIGHED. DR. MART LUTHER KG, JR. ADDRS CROWDS DURG THE MARCH ON WASHGTON AT THE LLN MEMORIAL, WASHGTON D.C., WHERE HE GAVE HIS 'I HAVE A DREAM' SPEECH.CENTRAL PRS/GETTY AMONG THOSE PREJUDIC: THE AMERIN TRADN OF MONIZG BLACK MALE SEXUALY. THE VIEW THAT BLACK PEOPLE, ASKG NOT SIMPLY FOR TOKEN TEGRATN BUT FOR TOTAL TEGRATN AND EQUAL RIGHTS, WERE MANDG TOO MUCH. THE STUBBORN BELIEF THAT POLICE WERE JTIFIED THEIR VLENT, UNPROVOKED ATTACKS ON PEACEFUL PROTTERS. THE SNI IA THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAD SIMPLY TO LIFT THEMSELV BY THEIR OWN BOOTSTRAPS, IGNORG THE POVERTY THAT SLAVERY AND SEGREGATN LEFT BEHD. “IT’S A CEL JT TO SAY TO A BOOTLS MAN THAT HE OUGHT TO LIFT HIMSELF BY HIS OWN BOOTSTRAPS,” AS KG SAID.POLLARD CLUS NEWSREELS OF EVERYDAY PEOPLE ON THE STREET VOICG THEIR OPNS ABOUT KG. “HE’S TOO BOSSY. THKS HE’S TOO SMART,” AN OLR WHE WOMAN SAYS, WRKLG HER NOSE. “ALL THE TROUBLE HE’S ED THIS UNTRY, ALL THIS RTG AND THGS. I THK HE’S ABOUT THE WORST—IF HE IS A HUMAN, ABOUT THE WORST THE WORLD,” OP A SOUTHERN BLOND MAN HIS THIRTI.IN A TELEVISED TERVIEW, JOURNALIST GAY PLEY SEHON, SMIRKG THE WHOLE WAY, TRI TO MAKE KG ANSWER FOR WHY “THE NONVLENCE ALWAYS ENDS WH VLENCE.” SHE ASKS WHETHER HE IS SOWG “RENTMENT” AMONG WH, “A FEELG THAT THE NEGRO IS MOVG TOO RAPIDLY, ASKG TOO MUCH TOO SUDNLY.” IT IS ALL AS SELFISH AND IGNORANT—YET FAIAR—AS THE NSERVATIVE OPPOSN TO TODAY’S CIVIL-RIGHTS MOVEMENTS. IN THAT WAY, MLK/FBI IS AS MUCH ABOUT THE ERNMENT PERSECUTN OF KG AS IS ABOUT THE TIMELSNS OF WHE AMERI’S FEAR OF CHANGE. MELISSA LEON

I thk he’s about the worst—if he is a human, about the worst the world, ” op a Southern blond man his a televised terview, journalist Gay Pley Sehon, smirkg the whole way, tri to make Kg answer for why “the nonvlence always ends wh vlence. Is Ply Shore gay? Rumours of Ply Shore beg gay tensified 2017 when he posted on social media that he had bee gay.