MLK/FBI tells the story of civil rights her Martin Luther King Jr. relationship with the FBI.
The documentary not only reveals the intimate details of King’s private life but his political life and the FBI’s plot against him and his image. His role in the civil right’s movement has been memorialized however, Dr. King as a person and the FBIs monitoring and campaign against him is typically unknown.
The FBI during J. Edgar Hoover’s time at the bureau there was a monitoring of Americans with potential communist ties. King’s relationship with Stanley Levinson led to a close monitoring of Dr.King’s private life and revealed his extramarital affairs. Ultimately all of this information was collected as the FBI’s intent of discrediting Dr.King.
For Sam Pollard his biggest concern with pursuing this documentary was that the documentary could diminish his reputation and could possibly receive pushback from the King family. However, after filming he believes the film will be able to highlight the complexities of Dr.King and show the humanity of the man who in many ways has become the face of peaceful protesting, Black liberation and the continuous fight against segregation in America. The awareness of who Dr.King was and what he represented can coexist without discrediting him or taking away from his legacy.
The documentary not only explores some of the nuances and difficulties with accepting and understanding American history but shows the complexities of not just Dr.King but the political figures that have been associated with allyship or “being the good guys.” The documentary will not only explore J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI but the role of the Kennedy administration as well.
The documentary leaves room for interpretation and will allow viewers to decide between what is right and wrong, ideological alignment, and the opportunity to see the humanness of figures whose legacies feel untouchable.
