MLK FBI FILES RELEASED

The Trump administration released over 240,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr., which had been sealed since 1977. - King's family and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference opposed the release, arguing that the FBI's surveillance was illegal and aimed at discrediting King and the Civil Rights Movement. - The records include information on the FBI's activities post-assassination and details about King’s involvement in anti-war and anti-poverty movements. - King's children, Martin III and Bernice, emphasized the need for the records to be viewed in historical context and expressed concern about potential misinterpretations that could harm their father's legacy. - They reiterated their belief that James Earl Ray, who pleaded guilty to King's murder, may have been part of a conspiracy, a claim supported by a 1999 civil case verdict. - The release of these documents is expected to provide new research material for scholars and journalists studying King’s life and assassination.