COINTELPRO: THE NOW-DECLASSIFIED [FBI DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS WILLIAM] SULLIVAN MEMO, 1964, WHICH WAS REVEALED IN THE 1971 CHURCH COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES:

“It should be clear to us that Martin Luther King, Jr. must at some point in the future be revealed to the people of this country and to his Negro followers as being what he really is—a fraud, demagogy and a scoundrel. When the true facts concerning his activities are presented, such should be enough, if handled properly, take him off his pedestal and reduce him completely in influence.

"When this is done, obviously much confusion will reign particularly among Negro people. The Negroes will be left without a National leader of sufficient compelling personality to steer them in the proper direction, this is what could happen, but this need not happen… [Name blacked out] is the right kind of National Negro leader at this time to be gradually developed so as to overshadow Dr. King and be in position to assume the role of the leadership of Negro people when King has been completely discredited… He does have all the qualifications of the kind of Negro I have in mind to advance to the position of national Negro leadership.

"If this can be set up properly without the Bureau in any way becoming directly involved, I think it would not only be a great help to the FBI but would be a fine thing for the country at large.” — Frontline Magazine, Jan/Feb 1997

For more information see our video catalog selections: Martin L. King: The Man, Myth & the Murder and The Murder of Martin L. King, Jr.