MLK/FBI Film: Martin Luther King Jr, a Target of FBI

MLK/FBI Film: Martin Luther King Jr, a Target of FBI
Martin Luther King

The character of Martin Luther King Jr, a rights activist, has been documented in many films. However, none is comparable to the MLK/FBI. This new film has taken a different approach, exploring the young man’s life and how the FBI spied on him.

Sam Pollard, the Director of MLK/FBI, stated that the film’s main aim is to create an accurate and respectful documentary of what the King was like as a human being. The Oscar nominee director narrates that the film portrays who Martin Luther King Jr was and how he led civil rights movements.

The Storyline of the Film

MLK/FBI is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Sam Pollard, Benjamin Hedin, and Laura Tomaselli. It narrates how Martin Luther King Jr. is investigated and harassed by the FBI.

In the MLK/FBI film, the King incited and led boycotts despite being watched. For instance, he had led the Montgomery bus boycott while the FBI was spying on him. Therefore, his personal life was quite complicated, especially as he also had affairs with other women outside marriage. In the 1969s, the FBI sent letters to King’s wife, trying to discredit him. In the letter, Mr. J. Edgar, the FBI’s then Director, had labeled the King the “most dangerous” person in America.

In 1968, King was assassinated after delivering a famous anti-Vietnum war speech called the Riverside Church. By releasing this speech, King knew that he would get pushback from people of his constituency in the civil rights movement and the Federal government. Along with the storyline, a judge ordered that the files be concealed in 1977 and only be let out to the public come 2027. However, Mr. Pollard does not think the files would change people’s opinion on the King.

“Now, for those who always thought King was a scourge to American society, all it’ll do is confirm their feelings about King when they hear something salacious. But those of us who still revere Dr. King, we know he was a flawed human being. I don’t think it will matter, ” he said.

MLK/FBI film opens in selective theaters. It is mostly on demand on 15th January. The latter is just three days before the Martin Luther holiday, which the US celebrates every 18th of January. Nevertheless, the film first premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It also screened at the 2020 New York Film Festival.

Moral Lesson of MLK/FBI

The film bases its ideologies on the harassment activists undergo in their campaigns against unjust acts. King is an example of what human beings face today under government surveillance and harassment. We, therefore, learn from the film humanity is a virtue that everyone should embrace. When everyone practices barbarism and brutal acts, there is no room left for growth. Mainly as all good is consumed with the vices. Therefore, we need to live in harmony with others and avoid plotting harm against ourselves. Even when it comes to conducting investigations, the procedure should be fair with no discriminatory intentions.

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