1 / 10MLK’s Life: Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader who fought for racial equality through nonviolent protest. Born in 1929, he led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and delivered iconic speeches like “I Have a Dream.” His work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. King advocated for economic justice and peace, shaping the civil rights movement until he died in 1968. (Reuters photo)
2 / 10Memphis Assassination: On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was in the city to support a sanitation workers’ strike. The night before, he gave his famous “Mountaintop” speech. The assassination shocked the nation, sparking riots and deepening racial tensions during a turbulent year. (AP photo)
3 / 10James Earl Ray: James Earl Ray, a segregationist, was convicted of King’s murder after a manhunt led to his capture in London. He pleaded guilty in 1969 but later recanted, claiming innocence until he died in 1998. Questions persist about whether Ray acted alone, with some believing he was part of a larger conspiracy. (Reuters photo)
4 / 10FBI Surveillance: The FBI heavily surveilled King during his lifetime, wiretapping his phones and bugging his hotel rooms. Under J. Edgar Hoover, the bureau falsely linked King to communism to discredit him. Declassified files reveal a smear campaign aimed at undermining King’s reputation and the broader civil rights movement. (Reuters photo)
5 / 10Conspiracy Theories: King’s family and others doubt Ray acted alone. In 1999, a Memphis civil trial found Loyd Jowers and unnamed government agencies were part of a conspiracy to kill King. The jury concluded Ray was not the shooter. However, a 2023 Justice Department report dismissed Jowers’ claims as unreliable. (Reuters photo)
6 / 10Document Release: On July 21, 2025, over 240,000 pages of federal records about King’s assassination were released. Ordered by President Donald Trump, the declassified files include FBI investigation details. The National Archives posted the documents online, with more releases planned. The files aim to provide transparency about the 1968 tragedy. (Reuters photo)
7 / 10King Family Reaction: King’s children, Martin III and Bernice, support transparency but urged empathy in handling the files. They emphasised the personal nature of the records, noting their family’s ongoing grief. The family condemned any misuse of the documents to attack King’s legacy, calling for respect and historical context. (Reuters photo)
8 / 10FBI Smear Campaign: The released files detail the FBI’s efforts to discredit King. The bureau’s campaign, led by J. Edgar Hoover, involved invasive surveillance and disinformation to portray King as anti-American. Scholars hope the documents reveal more about these tactics, though no definitive evidence of FBI involvement in the assassination is expected. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
9 / 10Trump’s Order: President Trump ordered the release of King’s assassination records, alongside files on the Kennedy assassinations, citing national interest. The move followed his January directive to declassify records. Some scholars question the timing, suggesting it may serve as a political move to cast doubt on government institutions like the FBI. (Reuters photo)
10 / 10Scholarly Expectations: Historians and scholars, like Ryan Jones and Lerone Martin, anticipate the files will shed light on the FBI’s surveillance of King. They seek details on how the bureau ignored assassination threats against him. While significant revelations are hoped for, experts doubt the documents will definitively prove a conspiracy. (Reuters photo)
