FBI's MLK Jr. Tweet Gets Truly Epic Community Note

David Moye
Updated ·3 min read
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The FBI attempted to honor the 95th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth on Monday, only to be reminded of all the ways the agency tried to undermine his work while he was alive.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the FBI said that it “honors one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and reaffirms its commitment to Dr. King’s legacy of fairness and equal justice for all.”

The post fulfilled its performative goal of honoring a true American hero, but many users rightfully pointed out that it wasn’t conveying the FBI’s real history with King.

As a result, a community note was added to the post that pointed out that when King was alive, the agency had a less favorable reaction to him, to the point where agents “engaged in surveillance of King, attempted to discredit him, and used manipulation tactics to influence him to stop organizing.”

The note also mentioned that King’s own family believes “the FBI was responsible for his death.”

After HuffPost reached out to the FBI’s national press office for comment, the agency responded with the following statement:

The FBI has long acknowledged the abuses of power that took place under Director J. Edgar Hoover and the deplorable actions taken against Dr. King and others involved in the civil rights movement. Today, the FBI honors Dr. King’s life and legacy and uses those lessons from our past to reaffirm our commitment to equal justice, fairness, and diversity.

Other users on X had lots to say about the tweet and the community note attached to it.

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