Unveiling MLK Files: A Mixed Bag of Transparency and Controversy

The FBI files on Martin Luther King Jr. are now out in the open. This happened even though King's family and the civil rights group he led didn't want it. The files, over 240, 000 pages, were kept secret since 1977. The King family got to see them first. They asked people to look at these files with care and respect. The files show how the FBI watched King closely. They also show how the CIA paid attention to King's work against war and poverty. It's not clear yet if these files tell us anything new about King's life, the civil rights movement, or his death. King's children, Martin III and Bernice, said their father's death is a personal loss. They want people to remember that. They also said they don't think James Earl Ray acted alone in killing their father. Ray was the man convicted of the crime. The release of these files is seen differently by different people. Some see it as a step towards openness. Others see it as a way to distract from other issues. The King Center, led by Bernice King, said the release is not well-timed. They said there are more important issues to focus on. The files were supposed to stay secret until 2027. But the Justice Department asked a judge to make them public earlier. Now, scholars and others can study them. They might find new information about King's assassination in Memphis in 1968. King's family and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference opposed the release. They said the FBI illegally watched King and others. They said the FBI wanted to discredit them and their movement. The King children said they support openness. But they don't want people to attack their father's legacy. King was killed while supporting striking workers in Memphis. He was focusing on economic justice at the time. Ray pleaded guilty to the crime but later said he was innocent. The King family and others have always questioned if Ray acted alone. They believe there was a conspiracy.