Martin Luther King vs. The FBI

Sam Pollard

This documentary shows how Martin Luther King Jr. fought for equal rights for African American citizens, but was harrassed by the FBI because they saw him as a threat for the society. It shows how racism and fear of the American society obstructed King’s fight for equality.

Sam Pollard tells King’s story. Shortly after his ‘I have a dream’ speech King was marked as a danger for the future of America. Even though King’s dream was peaceful, secret documents of the FBI that have now been released show that the FBI led by Edgar J. Hoover opened a true witch hunt on King. King was constantly followed, bugged and harrassed because Hoover thought the anti discrimination movement during the fifties and sixties was all a communist scheme. No means was shunned and Hoover started a smear-campaign in which, among other things, he revealed King’s extramarital affairs to put pressure on him.

With archival footage, scenes from Hollywood movies, commentary by historians, publicists and other people involved the film sketches an immersive portrait of the rotten culture of the FBI. The campaign against King was carried out from the late fifties until King got murder in 1968. Pollard rightfully sheds a light on this shocking history.


Sam Pollard
Benjamin Hedin
Country of production
United States
106 minutes
Spoken language
Production company
Field of Vision, Play/Action Pictures
Dutch distributor
Cherry Pickers