Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza

Learn about COINTELPRO.

COINTELPRO, a shortening of “Counter Intelligence Program,” was a series of covert and illegal initiatives by the FBI designed to disrupt and discredit significant movements in the 1960s. Although it was initially focused on Communism in the U.S., it quickly began to target any movement related to equity and social justice. But one of its main goals was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of the Black nationalists" (PBS). Under FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s direction, this group either directly or indirectly caused the death and incarceration of major civil rights leaders.

Happy Thursday! As we’ve written previously, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been whitewashed and sanitized to fit into the image that society wants us to believe, one that is repackaged and resold each year on Martin Luther King Day in the U.S. But another danger of this narrative is the lack of awareness and accountability on his assassination. However, if we fully understand the circumstances surrounding his death – and the fates of other civil rights leaders – we have a more accurate depiction of the true impact of his life. Today’s email is a VERY basic overview, and I highly recommend digging into the articles provided to learn more.

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By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

COINTELPRO, a shortening of “Counter Intelligence Program,” was a series of covert and illegal initiatives by the FBI designed to disrupt and discredit significant movements in the 1960s. Although it was initially focused on Communism in the U.S., it quickly began to target any movement related to equity and social justice. But one of its main goals was to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of the Black nationalists" (PBS). Under FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s direction, this group either directly or indirectly caused the death and incarceration of major civil rights leaders. 

Most of its focus was on dismantling the Black Panther Party, which Hoover saw as “the greatest threat to the country’” (Berkeley). Some of their actions were direct: they often organized raids with local law enforcement to kill or displace members. One of these resulted in Fred Hampton’s death, the 21-year-old chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party. In 1969, Fourteen plainclothes police officers raided the apartment building where Black Panther members and their families lay sleeping, firing over 90 times from pistols, shotguns, and a machine gun (History). Hampton and chapter member Mark Clark were killed, and four others were physically injured during the raid. 

But they also created lies and deceit to influence the actions of leaders and those around them. To disarm the Black Panther Party, they seeded false information to create rifts between BPP leaders (most notably, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey P. Newton) and create dissent between the BPP and Black nationalist groups. They also drove the actress Jean Seberg, who financially supported the BPP, to die by suicide. They leaked a fake letter to the press insinuating that she was pregnant not by her husband but a high-ranking official of the Black Panther Party (NYTimes). The stress of this controversy caused Seberg to go into labor early, ultimately losing her child. She ultimately died by suicide.

COINTELPRO targeted many other notable civil rights leaders. Their actions led to the assassination of Malcolm X and drove Assata Shakur out of the country. It spied on famed boxer Muhammad Ali and his relationship with the Nation of Islam for years. Through COINTELPRO, the FBI collected a 1,884-page file about the author and activist James Baldwin. 

The COINTELPRO program was disbanded after a group of activists exposed them – with proof. On March 8, 1971, four people broke into an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania, and stole classified documents outlining the program. The group chose this night specifically; it was the night of the “Fight of the Century,” the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and they knew people would likely be out of office. They seized over 1,000 documents and promptly mailed them anonymously to newspapers across the country (Zinn Education Project). Betty Medsger is reportedly the first person to break teh story at the Washington Post, and you can read more about her experience here. The burglars’ identities remained a secret until 2014 when three of them joined Medsger in an interview with Democracy Now!

This exposure helped to contextualize the loss of great figures, and, in some cases, encourage the families of victims to speak out. One case was after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated, shot while standing on his hotel room’s balcony. The suspect, James Earl Ray, was arrested a couple of months later. Ray confessed and pled guilty to the murder. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison (Stanford). 

But days later, he recanted his confession and said he was coerced by law enforcement (Washington Post). This information, paired with the exposure of COINTELPRO in the early ’70s, led the family of Dr. King to be suspicious of the circumstances of his death. Because COINTELPRO had, of course, been actively surveilling Dr. King, too. Since 1963, the bureau regularly wiretapped King’s home, offices, and hotel rooms. They also sent him a tape of a recording of his sex life, along with a blackmail note threatening to expose him publicly unless he killed himself (NYTimes). Other civil rights leaders who surrounded Dr. King, like Bayard Rustin. More extensive records of surveillance of Dr. King, including FBI investigations of his death, will be released to the public in 2027.

In 1993, another man admitted he was part of a conspiracy to kill Dr. King (History). These claims led the King family to sue for wrongful death for a symbolic $100, as the case was solely about seeking justice. The case, Coretta Scott King v. Loyd Jowers, found that Dr. King was the victim of a conspiracy involving the Memphis police and federal agencies. This was a civil, not criminal case, so no one was charged, nor was the federal government on trial. The Department of Justice subsequently rejected the trial results, and the allegations included (DOJ). Regardless, the family is still adamant about the conspiracy (The Grio).

“

There is abundant evidence of a major high level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband, Martin Luther King, Jr. And the civil court's unanimous verdict has validated our belief. I wholeheartedly applaud the verdict of the jury, and I feel that justice has been well served in their deliberations.


Coretta Scott King, The Transcription of the King Family Press Conference on the MLK Assassination Trial Verdict, The King Center

It’s important to remember that COINTELPRO wasn’t the start of violence against civil rights leaders but a more formalized approach to a long history of these kinds of tactics. Much of this work also happened under the War on Drugs led by the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (established by Hoover, led by Harry Anslinger). The famed artist Billie Holiday was hounded by law enforcement throughout her life, which ultimately led to her death (28 Days of Black History). 

And surveillance continues on civil rights movements to this day. In 2015, it was revealed that the Oregon Department of Justice was conducting digital surveillance on state residents that used the Black Lives Matter hashtag online (Oregon Live). And as protests unfolded across the U.S. last summer, there were a series of reports of law enforcement agencies deploying advanced surveillance technology, including facial recognition, aerial surveillance, and cellular phone exploitation (EFF). More gravely, six activists in the Ferguson, Missouri, community have been found dead in the four years since Michael Brown was killed (CBS News).

Many educational textbooks skip COINTELPRO altogether, which means that many people don’t have this context when they read about the importance of securing our identity in this technologically advanced, connected age. But we can’t forget about the past as we fight to protect our future. COINTELPRO might seem long in the past, but its influence is still causing harm today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • COINTELPRO was a series of covert and illegal initiatives by the FBI designed to disrupt and discredit significant movements in the 1960s

  • It is directly responsible for the death, exile, deportation, etc of prominent civil rights leaders of the 1960s

  • The family of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are adamant that the FBI conspired in his death

  • Surveillance still continues of the current Black Lives Matter movement

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Kashea McCowan Nicole Cardoza Kashea McCowan Nicole Cardoza

Honor the legacy of Malcolm X.

Sunday, February 21 marked the 56th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, a muslim minister and prominent human rights activist during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. As his family and the world prepared for the remembrance of his life on this tragic day in history, new evidence of devastating but also long-time speculated news came to light through the form of a written letter. Written by a former NYPD policeman, the letter serves as somewhat of a confession of his alleged helping hand in the murder of controversial leader Malcolm X, also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. The case was put to rest more than fifty years ago when three members of the Nation of Islam were charged for the heinous crimes, but the evidence presented by the Shabazz family has prompted them to revisit the case with government groups like the New York Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation in the line of fire.

Happy Friday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. I've been reflecting on how so many of our great Civil Rights leaders – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X – knew that their lives would be cut short because of the work they did. And in many of these cases, law enforcement played a part. This week, on the anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, new information suggests that the NYPD were involved. Today, Kashea shares more – and urges us to understand the impact Malcolm X had on the civil rights movement of today.

This newsletter is a free resource and that's made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community. Thank you to all those that support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Watch the documentary “The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X” to learn about the legacy and impact of Malcolm X.

  • Donate to The Shabazz Center, which honors the memory of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz with events & programs that promote cultural engagement and public discourse.

  • Consider your perspective on the legacy of Malcolm X, how the media portrayed him, and how it may differ from his true teachings.

GET EDUCATED

By Kashea McCowan (she/her)

Sunday, February 21 marked the 56th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, a muslim minister and prominent human rights activist during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. As his family and the world prepared for the remembrance of his life on this tragic day in history, new evidence of devastating but also long-time speculated news came to light through the form of a written letter. Written by a former NYPD policeman, the letter serves as somewhat of a confession of his alleged helping hand in the murder of controversial leader Malcolm X, also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. The case was put to rest more than fifty years ago when three members of the Nation of Islam were charged for the heinous crimes, but the evidence presented by the Shabazz family has prompted them to revisit the case with government groups like the New York Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation in the line of fire.
 

It is said that everything that is hidden must come to light and nearly sixty years after his death, there’s still apprehension and suspicion about who killed Malcolm X, one of the civil rights most prominent players. On February 20, the day before the 56th anniversary of their father’s assassination, the Shabazz sisters—Qubiliah, Ilyasah, and Gamilah—and attorney Ben Crump stood in the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center—formerly known as the Audubon Ballroom where Malcolm X was assassinated—and presented the letter given to them by Reggie Wood, the brother of Raymond A. Wood. At Raymond’s request, the letter he wrote in 2011 was not to be released until after his death by Reggie who serves as the administrator over his estate. Raymond died in November 2020 and Reggie delivered the letter to Malcolm X’s family.


In the letter, Raymond A. Wood addresses the alleged events leading up to Malcolm X’s assassination. Wood states that he was approached by his supervisors at the New York Police Department to coax two members of Malcolm X’s security team into committing crimes that led to their arrests just a few days before the assassination (The Washington Post). As a result, the men were unable to perform their duties in securing the doors of the Audubon ballroom where Malcolm X was speaking the day he was killed. The letter began with a tone of disappointment, embarrassment, and regret.
 

“I was a black New York City undercover police officer between May of 1964 through May of 1971. I participated in actions that in hindsight were deplorable and detrimental to my own black people,” Wood writes. “. . . Under the direction of my handlers, I was told to encourage leaders and members of the civil rights groups to commit felonious acts” (The Washington Post).
 

The letter says that the NYPD and the FBI covered up details of the assassination and that they were actually the ones who set in motion and conspired a plan to murder Malcolm X in Harlem. Because Malcolm X’s popularity with the Nation of Islam began to dwindle and he decided to leave the Black Separatist group to start his own organization called The Muslim Mosque, it was the perfect cover-up for these groups to proceed with their evil plans.  
 

“Ray Wood, an undercover police officer at the time, confessed in a deathbed declaration letter that the NYPD and the FBI conspired to undermine the legitimacy of the civil rights movement and its leader. Without any training, Wood’s job was to infiltrate civil rights organizations and encourage leaders and members to commit felonious attacks,” says Crump (Atlanta Daily World).
 

Wood had several roles as an undercover police officer for the Bureau of Special Services and Investigation (BOSSI). He reportedly earned his reputation for infiltrating the Bronx Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) chapter under the name Ray Woodall in 1964. In 1965, he was reassigned to infiltrate a group calling itself the Black Liberation Movement (BLM) and received credit for defusing a plot to bomb the Statue of Liberty (Atlanta Daily World).
 

“Who more personified the Black Liberation Movement in America in 1965 than civil rights icon Malcolm X? [The FBI] was trying to stop another Black messiah from uniting African Americans. This was orchestrated, and the only way we get to justice . . . restorative justice or otherwise, is with truth,” says Crump (The Washington Post).
 

Though Wood committed wrongful acts against his own Black people, it is important to note and highlight the major roles that law enforcement played in the attempts to extinguish Black movements and individuals, especially civil rights activists and prominent Black leaders of the 1960s such as Martin Luther King Jr., Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, Angela Davis, Billie Holiday—for the messages she sang about in many of her Jazz records such as “Strange Fruit”—and many others. Still today, this brutality ignited by the involvement of law enforcement rears its ugly head as violence took over the nation during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. The brutal murders of innocent Black men and women including Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, and many others, demonstrates that the resentment that law enforcement has towards Black and Brown populations have yet to cease. But, it is necessary—no matter how long it takes—to fight for the truth whether it is seeking justice for Breonna Taylor or radical figures such as Malcolm X.
 

“Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated,” says Ilyasah Shabazz (BBC).
 

The FBI has so far made no public comment on the issue and the NYPD has provided all available records relevant to that case to the district attorney. The department is committed to assist with that review in any way (BBC).
 

It is unfathomable to think that at least two of the men arrested could have served time in prison at the hands of the NYPD and FBI. In addition to this, justice—as it were—has not yet been served for the famed Black Leader who we know as Malcolm X. The 2020 Netflix TV series, Who Killed Malcolm X?, is evidence that there is somewhat of a “dis-ease” surrounding this case. Although, digging up the past is no fun, when trash rises to the surface, you have no choice but to go through it. The family is pushing for the case to be reopened. Like Ilyasah Shabazz says, the investigation should undergo a thorough review, and hopefully this new evidence will shine a light on the hidden truth behind Malcolm X’s tragic death. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Sunday, February 21 marked the 56th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X.

  • On February 20, the day before the 56th anniversary of their father’s assassination, the Shabazz sisters—Qubiliah, Ilyasah, and Gamilah—and attorney Ben Crump presented the declaration letter written by Raymond A. Wood

  • Wood was an undercover policeman who helped coax members of Malcolm’s security to felonious crimes preventing them the ability to guard the doors at the Audubon Ballroom the day of Malcolm X’s death.

  • The letter says that the NYPD and the FBI covered up details of the assassination and that they were actually the ones who set in motion and conspired a plan to murder Malcolm X in Harlem.

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PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Read More