After the 1963 March on Washington, the FBI singled out Martin Luther King Jr. as a major COINTELPRO target
FBI’s Targeting of Martin Luther King Jr. Through COINTELPRO
After the historic 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech, the FBI intensified its efforts to discredit and undermine King through its controversial COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) operations.
The FBI, under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, had grown increasingly wary of King’s growing influence and the momentum of the civil rights movement. Hoover viewed King as a potential “messiah” figure who could unify and electrify the Black nationalist movement, which the FBI perceived as a threat to national security.
Wiretapping and Surveillance
In the aftermath of the March on Washington, the FBI obtained approval from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to wiretap King’s home and offices. This marked the beginning of a systematic campaign of…