Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Martin Luther King Jr.

Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Martin Luther King Jr..

Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal leader in the American Civil Rights Movement, advocating for racial equality through nonviolent resistance. As a Baptist minister and activist, he challenged segregation and discrimination against people of color. King led marches, boycotts, and protests, inspiring significant legislative changes, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His commitment to nonviolence, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King's legacy continues to influence movements for social justice and equality worldwide, though his life was tragically cut short by assassination in 1968.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1957: FBI Tracks King

In 1957, Hoover directed the FBI to begin tracking King due to suspicions of communist influence in social movements.

July 1962: King Jailed in Albany

In July 1962, King returned to Albany and chose to go to jail rather than pay a fine for protesting segregation; however, Police Chief Laurie Pritchett discreetly arranged for King's fine to be paid and ordered his release after three days.

December 1963: FBI Surveillance Campaign Begins

In December 1963, the FBI launched an intensive campaign to neutralize Martin Luther King Jr. as an effective civil rights leader.

1963: FBI COINTELPRO Investigation

From 1963 forward, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI's COINTELPRO targeted King, investigating him for alleged communist ties and infringing on his personal life.

1963: March on Washington

In 1963, King collaborated in the March on Washington, and acceded to the wishes of President Kennedy in changing the focus of the march.

1963: FBI Fears Regarding Stanley Levison

In 1963, the FBI feared that Stanley Levison was acting as an 'agent of influence' over King, despite their own reports that Levison had left the Communist Party.

1963: FBI Wiretapping Authorization

In the fall of 1963, the FBI received authorization to wiretap King's phone lines due to his association with Stanley Levison.

1963: FBI Wiretapping

In the fall of 1963, the FBI, under written directive from Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, began tapping King's telephone line due to concerns about communist influence.

November 4, 1964: Washington Post Article on Soviet Union Invitation

On November 4, 1964, a Washington Post article claimed King was invited to the Soviet Union, leading the CIA to investigate possible links between King and Communism.

1964: Urging vote against Barry Goldwater

In 1964, King urged his supporters and people of goodwill to vote against Republican Senator Barry Goldwater for president, stating his election "would be a tragedy".

1964: Recording from the Willard Hotel

In 1964, a recording from the Willard Hotel had a recently added summary of a transcript. King's voice wasn't identified in the recording.

1965: King Denies Communist Connections

In a 1965 Playboy interview, King denied having connections to communism, stating that "there are as many Communists in this freedom movement as there are Eskimos in Florida."

April 4, 1967: Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence Speech

On April 4, 1967, King delivered his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech at Riverside Church in New York City, criticizing the U.S.'s role in the Vietnam War and connecting it to economic injustice.

April 15, 1967: King Speaks at Anti-War March to the U.N.

On April 15, 1967, King spoke at an anti-war march from Central Park to the United Nations, addressing issues of civil rights and the draft.

1967: SCLC Listed as Hate Group

In 1967, Hoover listed the SCLC as a black nationalist hate group and instructed the use of counterintelligence techniques to disrupt or discredit the group.

1967: King's Massey Lecture

In 1967, King gave his Massey Lecture, indicating that he wasn't fond of the hippie culture which developed from the anti-war movement, despite his growing public opposition to the Vietnam War.

January 13, 1968: King Calls for March on Washington

On January 13, 1968, King called for a large march on Washington against "one of history's most cruel and senseless wars".

1968: FBI Campaign End Date

In 1968, the FBI's intensive campaign to 'neutralize' Martin Luther King Jr. as an effective civil rights leader ended, coinciding with his death.

1968: Memphis Police Surveillance

In the spring of 1968, the Memphis Police Department spied on King during his support for striking sanitation workers. Agents watched King at the time he was shot.

1975: Church Committee Investigation

In 1975, the Church Committee found that Martin Luther King Jr. was the target of an intensive FBI campaign to 'neutralize' him as a civil rights leader from December 1963 until his death in 1968.

1976: FBI Acknowledges Lack of Evidence

By 1976, the FBI acknowledged that it had not obtained any evidence that King or the SCLC were involved with any communist organizations, despite extensive surveillance.

1977: Order to Seal FBI Surveillance Tapes

In 1977, Judge John Lewis Smith Jr. ordered the recorded audiotapes and written transcripts resulting from the FBI's electronic surveillance of King between 1963 and 1968 to be sealed until 2027.

1986: Garrow's Book on Extramarital Affairs

In his 1986 book, David Garrow wrote about a number of extramarital affairs, including one woman King saw almost daily.

1989: Abernathy's Autobiography

In his 1989 autobiography, Ralph Abernathy stated that King had a "weakness for women", and that he had a difficult time with the temptation of sex outside of marriage.

October 1991: Academic Inquiry on Dissertation

In October 1991, an academic inquiry concluded that portions of King's doctoral dissertation had been plagiarized, but the committee did not recommend revoking his degree.

1997: Dexter Scott King Meets with James Earl Ray

In 1997, Dexter Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, met with James Earl Ray and publicly supported Ray's efforts to obtain a new trial regarding the assassination.

1999: Wrongful Death Lawsuit Ruling

In 1999, a wrongful death lawsuit ruling named unspecified "government agencies" among the co-conspirators in King's assassination, though this remains a conspiracy theory.

2000: U.S. Department of Justice Investigation

In 2000, the U.S. Department of Justice completed its investigation into Loyd Jowers' claims of conspiracy in King's assassination, finding no evidence to support them and recommending no further investigation without new, reliable evidence.

2002: Ronald Denton Wilson's Claim

In 2002, The New York Times reported that Ronald Denton Wilson, a church minister, claimed his father, Henry Clay Wilson, assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. Wilson stated his father believed King was connected with communism, but provided no evidence.

2003: Pepper's book publication

In 2003, Pepper published a book about the investigation and trial, as well as his representation of James Earl Ray in his bid for a trial.

2004: Jesse Jackson's statement

In 2004, Jesse Jackson made a statement about King's assassination.

2008: Jerry Ray's Interview on James Earl Ray

In 2008, James Earl Ray's younger brother, Jerry Ray, gave an interview to CNN where he described James as bold and capable of armed robbery.

2014: Release of FBI Letter

Upon the release of the full FBI letter in 2014, Yale history professor Beverly Gage noted that the FBI's intent might have been to push King out of the SCLC, not induce suicide.

2017: CIA Files Declassified

In 2017, CIA files were declassified, revealing the agency's investigation into possible links between King and Communism after a 1964 Washington Post article.

May 2019: Emergence of FBI File Allegations

In May 2019, an FBI file emerged with a handwritten note alleging that King "looked on, laughed and offered advice" as one of his friends raped a woman, allegations dismissed as highly unreliable by historians.

January 23, 2025: Declassification of Records Concerning Assassination

On January 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order declassifying the records concerning the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

2027: Scheduled Declassification of Tapes

The tapes that could confirm or refute the allegation are scheduled to be declassified in 2027.