Feb. 15, 2026

COINTELPRO — When The FBI Declared War On Black Dissent

Power doesn’t always fear chaos; sometimes it fears unity even more. We dive into the story of COINTELPRO, the FBI’s covert program that set out to disrupt, discredit, and dismantle Black movements that threatened the status quo. From the explicit mandate to prevent “the rise of a Black messiah” to the playbook of infiltration, forged letters, internal feuds, and manufactured raids, we trace how state power turned suspicion into a weapon—and why the fallout still shapes organizing today.

We lay out what the files and hearings revealed after the 1971 document leak, then explore how those tactics landed on real people and real communities. Martin Luther King Jr. is a central case: relentless wiretaps, bugged rooms, and an anonymous letter urging suicide crossed every moral line to collapse a private life into a political bludgeon. We ask hard questions about privacy, accountability, and legacy: What should count when we measure a leader’s impact? Where does ethical scrutiny end and voyeurism begin? And how do we keep focus on material gains—voting rights, safety, dignity—when scandal is engineered to drown out substance?

From the Black Panther Party’s infiltrated chapters to raids justified by dubious intelligence, we connect historical tactics to modern dynamics: algorithmic rumor mills, strategic leaks, and the slow drip of disinformation designed to hollow out trust. Our takeaways are practical and hopeful. Movements endure when they invest in transparent norms, shared verification, and a culture that repairs relationships instead of letting suspicion rule. Privacy deserves respect; harm deserves accountability; and unity deserves protection.

If this story challenged what you thought you knew about civil rights history, surveillance, and dissent, share it with a friend. Rate and follow the show, drop a review with your biggest insight, and join us on social to keep the conversation going—what’s the one safeguard you think every movement needs right now?

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Cover Art and Logo created by Diana of Other Worldly

Sound Mixing and editing by David McClam

Intro script by Sophie Wild From Fiverr & David McClam

Intro and outro jingle by Jacqueline G. (JacquieVoice) From Fiverr

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome And Mental Health Reminder

01:12 - Framing COINTELPRO’s Real Mission

02:28 - Tactics Of Disruption And Harm

03:15 - MLK Surveillance And Smear Campaign

03:59 - Black Panthers And Manufactured Raids

04:31 - Exposure, Hearings, And Lasting Damage

04:55 - Privacy, Legacy, And Public Judgment

06:02 - Parallels To Today And Ongoing Scrutiny

07:26 - Closing Thanks And Listener Actions

Transcript

WEBVTT

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Welcome to True Crime, authors and extraordinary people.

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The podcast where we bring two passions together.

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The show that gives new meaning to the old adage, truth is stranger than fiction.

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And reminding you that there is an extraordinary person in all of us.

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Here is your host, David McClam.

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What's going on, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of True Crime, Authors and Extraordinary People, Black History Fact Edition.

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Of course, I'm your man, David McClam.

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If you guys haven't already, make sure to follow us on all of our social media.

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It is the suicide prevention hotline.

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They will get you the help that you need.

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There is nothing worth your life.

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Alright, back with another good fact for you.

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You heard me talk about this a little bit, but we're gonna go a little bit deeper into it now.

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This is COINTELPRO, when the FBI declared war on black dissent.

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The United States has always claimed to fear extremism.

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What it has actually feared consistently is organized black resistance.

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In 1956, the FBI quietly launched a program called COINTELPRO, a counterintelligence program.

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Its stated purpose was to protect national security.

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Its actual mission was to disrupt, discredit, and destroy political movements the government found threatening.

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Black activists were not collateral damage.

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They were the primary targets.

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Under J.

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Edgar Hoover, the FBI decided that black leadership, especially leadership capable of uniting people, was a greater threat than organized crime.

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Hoover openly stated that the goal was to prevent the rise of a black messiah who could galvanize the masses.

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That language was not metaphorical, it was directive.

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COINTELPRO tactics were ruthless and calculated.

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Agents infiltrated organizations, spread false rumors, forged letters, manipulated relationships, and intentionally created internal conflict.

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They weaponized ego, fear, jealousy, and distrust.

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They didn't just monitor activists, they destabilized their lives.

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Martin King Jr.

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was surveilled relentlessly, his hotel rooms were bugged, his phone calls recorded, his private life dissected.

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The FBI sent him an anonymous letter encouraging him to commit suicide, implying exposure was imminent.

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This was not fringe behavior, this was federal policy.

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Black Panther chapters were infiltrated at nearly every level.

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Informants were paid to sow paranoia, meetings were sabotaged, leaders were arrested on trumped-up charges, others were killed during police raids justified by fabricated intelligence.

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COINTELPRO did not rely on legality, it relied on secrecy.

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When the program was exposed in 1971, after activists broke into an FBI office and leaked documents, the public was stunned.

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Congressional hearings followed.

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Officials expressed regret, and reforms were promised.

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And yet, no one went to prison.

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The damage had already been done.

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Organizations were fractured.

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Trust was poisoned.

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Movements that could have reshaped economic and racial policy were neutralized before they reached full power.

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COINTELPRO didn't just target radicals, it criminalized dissent.

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It taught future administrations that surveillance, misinformation, and disruption were effective tools against movements demanding accountability.

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The consequences are still with us.

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When activists today speak of being watched, infiltrated, discredited, or undermined from within, they're not being dramatic.

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They're remembering COINTELPRO wasn't an operation, it was a rehearsal.

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So I know I keep going back and saying this current administration, but we can find ourselves here again because, well, that's what they're trying to do, right?

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With the way that the FBI and other agencies are running.

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But when you go back and look over Martin Luther King Jr., I don't know if you guys know this, but for many years there's been kind of a split between black people with him because of the things that the FBI found and released.

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When they wrote him and told him to commit suicide because exposure was imminent, well, that's what happened.

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So we found out that Martin of the King smoked cigarettes every once in a while.

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I think it was found out that he was having or going to have an affair.

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There's a lot of things that he has said in private regarding his marriage and personal life that we should never know.

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Now I'm trying to do it.

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Legendary.

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These were things that was happening in Marlowe the King Jr.'s private and secret life.

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Things that we didn't have any business being into.

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Did it affect what he did for civil rights?

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No.

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Did it affect him fighting the good fight for black people?

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No.

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Did it affect him fighting the good fight for all Americans so that we could be seen as equals?

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No.

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So it's kind of like what I've said over the years when it came to Prince.

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You know, people say, oh, he's out here wearing these pants with no butts in him and he's doing this and the thing.

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I don't got time to care what Prince is doing in his private life.

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Now, as long as he ain't out here trafficking women and abusing children and all of that, all I care about is the music.

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If he's secretly up in Paisley Park and he wants to go on stage and wear pants with no butt in them, that ain't my decision.

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And it's the same here.

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COINTELPRO was sent to destroy, and in a lot of ways, they did.

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But in a lot of ways, we were able to get some of that back.

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And I do believe that to this day, even though they may be a little bit more careful when it comes to storm black organizations, the FBI still is digging into them and releasing things that we probably should never know.

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Alright, guys, so thank you for joining us on this one.

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I know you have many choices in true crime and interview podcasts, and I am grateful that I am one of your choices.

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Remember, you have been listening to the only three-faceted podcast of its kind.

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Be good to yourself and each other, and always remember.

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Always stay humble.

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An act of kindness can make someone's day.

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A little love and compassion can go a long way.

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And remember that there is an extraordinary person in all of us.

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I'll catch you guys on the next one.

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Don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe.

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Feel free to drop us a line at TrueCrime and Authors at gmail.com.

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Sound mixing and editing by David McLenn.

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Intro script by Sophie Wilde and David McLann.

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Theme Music Legendary by New Alchemist.

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Introduction and ending credits by Jackie Voice.

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See you next time on True Crime, Authors and Extraordinary People.