MLK/FBI

This documentary is a powerful reminder of how the FBI allowed racism and fear to guide its decision to follow and terrorize Martin Luther King Jr. The film's revelations, while startling, aren't necessarily new -- particularly regarding the legendary pastor-turned-activist's history of infidelity while married to Coretta Scott King. Pollard manages to keep the content frank but not salacious. The scholars he interviews point out that the reports on the FBI's audio tapes (which are sealed in the National Archives until 2027) can't be fully trusted because of the agency's agenda to discredit King. But some interviewees do allow that the reports could turn out to be more exaggerated than fully false. Historians (and the public) won't know until the hours of recordings are released. MLK/FBI itself doesn't include any overtly graphic details, although there are brief glimpses of the myriad FBI reports, as well as the infamous letter the FBI sent to the King encouraging him to kill himself. The most disturbing aspect of the package the letter came in isn't that it contained a recording of two people having sex (allegedly King and a mistress), but that the letter claimed to be from a Black follower of the Civil Rights movement (when, in fact, it was written by Hoover's deputy, Bill Sullivan).

Pollard does an excellent job of contextualizing Hoover's determination to ruin King's life and legacy: His crusade was rooted in paternalism, institutional racism, and fear of both King's connections to White liberals (one of whom previously had ties to the Communist Party) and the fact that he was seen as a charismatic "Black Messiah" and heralded as the United States' moral conscience. Hoover isn't excused for the FBI's actions, but the interviewed scholars make it clear that he didn't act in a vacuum: He was backed by the administrations of two presidents (and two progressive presidents at that). The film also doesn't shy away from exploring how the White community's fear of Black men's sexuality played a role in the FBI's determination to observe and report every detail of King's private life. The academics Pollard talks to question the truth of some of the reports, since it can be difficult to determine exactly what's happening in audio recordings. Ultimately, this revelatory documentary is a thought-provoking reminder to consider the humanity of our role models and heroes -- and to discuss how King's legacy can endure despite his apparent marital misconduct. The film's core message is that instead of concentrating on King's private affairs, it's important to understand why the FBI's state-sponsored surveillance was unlawful and politically motivated.