• The Trump administration released over 240,000 pages of documents related to Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
• The files detail extensive FBI surveillance of King as part of a campaign to discredit him.
• King's family expressed concerns that the release could distort his legacy and pleaded for respectful engagement with the documents.

The Trump administration has released a large cache of documents detailing the FBI's surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr., which involves more than 240,000 pages of records that had been sealed for decades. This action, taken under a transparency initiative started by President Trump, has sparked a mix of emotions from civil rights advocates and King’s family members, who have long opposed the timing and manner of the release, fearing it could paint a misleading narrative regarding King’s legacy, according to HuffPost and Los Angeles Times.

The documents, released on July 21, include memos and reports detailing the FBI's investigation following King's assassination in 1968, highlighting a covert campaign aimed at undermining his role in the civil rights movement. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard emphasized that these documents are part of an effort towards "complete transparency," despite King’s family's reservations, as reported by AA and The Hill.

In their statements, King's children, Martin Luther King III and Bernice King, acknowledged the significant historical value of the released documents but stressed that they must be viewed within their full historical context. They urged the public to approach the material with "empathy and respect," fearing that misinterpretations could further distort their father's narrative, as noted by TRT Global and Africanews.

The files include not only the surveillance of King, but also detailed accounts of the FBI’s targeting of him due to perceptions of him being a national threat, reflecting a broader campaign of harassment and intimidation initiated under then-FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. This systemic monitoring from the 1950s into the 1960s remains a significant moment in U.S. history, as discussed in documents released by BBC and NPR.

This worrying trend of leveraging historical revelations for political purposes has also caught the attention of critics such as Rev. Al Sharpton, who accused the Trump administration of attempting to divert attention from ongoing legal issues, suggesting that the timing of the release serves a dual purpose of transparency and distraction, as echoed in reports from The Hill and NPR.

While further investigations into the remaining files may continue, many advocates are calling for discernment in engaging with this material, who believe it should not only enhance understanding of King’s contributions but also recognize and address the injustices faced during his lifetime, reflecting a more considerable societal responsibility that rests with the nation, as highlighted by Le Monde and South China Morning Post.