A Nation Built on Secrets: The Weaponization of Martin Luther King’s Legacy

In an act hailed by some as “historic transparency,” the Trump administration has released over 240,000 pages of FBI records related to the surveillance and assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But for many, this unprecedented document dump is anything but noble—it is yet another example of how the U.S. government continues to exploit Black suffering for political distraction, decades after failing to protect one of the most iconic leaders in modern history.

The records, sealed since 1977 and now digitally available to the public, were released against the explicit wishes of King’s family and the civil rights organization he once led. They contain sensitive details surrounding his murder, years of surveillance, and the U.S. intelligence community’s deep involvement in monitoring and undermining his activism. What is marketed as “transparency” is, in truth, a calculated political maneuver to shift attention from more damning failures, including the government’s mishandling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and the ongoing erosion of civil trust.

Weaponizing Transparency

Donald Trump’s decision to release the King files was not driven by a desire for justice—it was driven by optics. By portraying himself as a proponent of “openness,” Trump attempts to distract the public from allegations of political interference in the Epstein sex trafficking case, which continues to haunt his administration and inner circle.

Meanwhile, civil rights leaders like Reverend Al Sharpton have rightly pointed out the hypocrisy: “Trump released these files not for justice, but to deflect.” This is not justice. It is the manipulation of Black pain to cleanse white reputations.

A Government that Feared a Dream

Dr. King’s life was one of peaceful resistance. Yet the very government that now pretends to honor him once spied on, discredited, and psychologically harassed him. The FBI’s infamous COINTELPRO program not only monitored his every move—it sought to destroy him, even encouraging him to commit suicide.

Now, decades later, the U.S. government parades its crimes under the guise of “historical transparency,” without apology, context, or accountability. And once again, the King family is forced to relive their grief in the public eye.

Silencing the Voices that Matter

While Trump allies like Alveda King, a conservative political figure estranged from the King children, praise the release, the actual descendants of Dr. King—Martin Luther King III and Bernice King—have pleaded for restraint and sensitivity. Their calls have been largely ignored, drowned out by political theater and partisan grandstanding.

America has a long history of erasing or rewriting Black history when it suits the moment. This is no different.

From the Archives to the Absurd

The fact that King’s files were released while key documents in the Epstein case remain hidden reveals all one needs to know about the selective morality of American politics. Files that expose the government’s crimes against its own citizens are made public for points. Files that could embarrass the powerful in the present are kept locked away.

This isn’t justice. This is distraction. This is exploitation. This is America.