The FBI Closely Tracked Aretha Franklin's Appearances at Civil Rights Events
The FBI used a network of snitches to spy on entertainers and activists, and the Queen of Soul was no exception.
The FBI kept close tabs on R&B legend Aretha Franklin and her activity in the civil rights movement, newly released Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) records show.
The 270 pages of declassified FBI memos, released on the bureau website's FOIA vault, include a series of reports on the "communist infiltration" of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), whose first president was Martin Luther King Jr. The bureau said SCLC leadership "has taken a 'hate America' and a 'pro-communist' line, which the mass of Negroes will not recognize but which they will blindly follow."
Franklin makes cameos in those records because she sang at several SCLC events between 1967 and 1968. One report on King's 1968 assassination notes that Franklin was booked to play a memorial concert for King at Atlanta Stadium, which a source warned could "provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance this area." The SCLC ultimately scrapped plans for the concert.
The FBI carefully followed Franklin's other appearances, planned appearances, and contacts with leftist groups or causes, such as the Boston branch of the Young Workers Liberation League, the Black Panther Party, and fundraisers for black radical Angela Davis.
The FBI's close attention to Franklin was not unusual. In fact, the Queen of Soul is in good company. During the 1960s and '70s, the FBI tracked the comings and goings of many artists, musicians, academics, and authors, especially black celebrities and leaders.
The FBI's paranoia even extended to comedians. FOIA records I recently received showed that FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover thought stand-up comedian Mort Sahl was a "very sick man" and that the feds kept close tabs on Sahl's jokes about them, believing that he and like-minded comedian Lenny Bruce were receiving material from "communistic" sources. (The FBI obsessively investigated any public comments impugning its good reputation, even as it went about illegally burgling and wiretapping Hoover's political enemies.)
You never know who's going to pop up in the bureau's vault. In 2017, Reason obtained FBI files on Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax that described the arch-nerd as "eccentric and frightening," a drug user who carried firearms, a proud pen pal to prison inmates, and "known to be member of the Libertarian Party."
In the latest issue of Reason magazine, you can read about how the FBI is still abusing its power to investigate would-be radicals for their speech.
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Franklin makes cameos in those records because she sang at several SCLC events between 1967 and 1968.
Does this mean we’re going to have to wait 50 years before we get this article on Trump?
No no. Fbi is bad again until the next fbi leak.
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Trump, the civil rights icon of our time.
Shitbag Tony; lefty lying TDS-addled asshole of all time.
Fuck off and die, shitbag.
Lol
(The FBI obsessively investigated any public comments impugning its good reputation, even as it went about illegally burgling and wiretapping Hoover’s political enemies.)
Good thing the feds cleaned up their act, am I right?
9/11 gave them a new tool to abuse. The FISA secret court.
You know who else the FBI tracked?
Martin Luther King Jr.?
Ernest Hemingway?
Hillary, Bill, and Hunter, so they could pick up the pieces behind them?
in Hillary and Bills case they must have had a whole ‘cleaner’ squad deployed over the years… whats the count at so far…?
George Lincoln Rockwell?
The Black Panthers?
Dr. Richard Kimble?
Who’s zoomin’ who?
Funny, the FBI kept an eye on people who they thought had “taken a ‘hate America’ and a ‘pro-communist line”. How things have changed.
Commies took over. Turns out they were actually right about the commies in the first place.
Communists should always be obliterated wherever they are found.
Maybe the Blues Brothers really were working for the CIA.
Plus, they did owe money to Matt “Guitar” Murphy, fool.
And some Hoover boys do look like Hassidic diamond merchants. So careful which white hoodlum friends you go sliding around with!
Good thing the FBI was only corrupt in the past! Oh, and in the present for non-Trump-related subjects.
Buuuuuuttttt, we can 100% trust the FBI in regards to Trump and Marlago raid. – Sullum and Reason Editors.
Thank god the FBI doesn’t do that shit anymore.
The same FBI who were briefed by the CIA that Hillary Clinton had created a Russian Collusion hoax to vilify her political opponent and yet stood by while Mueller used the lie to break down the doors of every Trump ally. I never want to hear the word “Watergate” again. Turns out, we all owe Richard Nixon an apology because obviously his bungled break was just inspo for Hillary’s multi-pronged spying/smearing/lying campaign. Anyone in jail for that? No.
Trump did collude with Russia. He did it live on TV. I saw it.
I picture you raving and screaming this while wearing a straitjacket, and interred at an insane asylum. Like the ones from a hundred years ago.
“Trump did collude with Russia. He did it live on TV. I saw it.”
Shitbag Tony did rape 5-YO kids! He did it live on TV. I saw it.
Can you also see Russia from your house? Asking for a friend.
I see from these comments that the FBI isn’t getting any R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
It’s always more constructive not to be monolithic, the FBI has had terrible “leadership”. Leaders giving orders contrary to their constitutional Oath of Office.
Like all organizations, subordinate employees follow orders – even unconstitutional legal orders. If we want real change, reforms should be directed at the top leadership!
When the leaders are loyal to their Oath of Office, their employees will also.
The fbi, Masters of Deceit.
Good to see that far-Right Cons pretending to be Libertarians care soooooooooooo much about the FBI surveilling “Those People” (or are y’all back to using “Urban”) advocating for civil rights, more than 50-years after the fact.
Where were you Birchers/Tea Baggers when it actually mattered.
Look Kunti, it was bad when the FBI was used as tool of political repression against the left as it is now against the right. And what does the Tea party have to do with anything that happened 50 years ago? They formed after chocolate Jesus was elected to oppose his socialist agenda and he sicked the IRS on them shortly thereafter. Like when the German sheperds were sicked on civil rights protesters in Birmingham back in ’63.
‘….how the FBI is still abusing its power to investigate would-be radicals for their speech…..’
Aretha was a talent from another planet but probably leaned left so here again is yet another article advising the FBI to search and out, fire and purge anyone who goes after the loyalists and go after the real enemy, e.g. Donald Trump, Malcolm X, Dr. King (the left barely mentions Malcolm X and Dr. King and their ‘color blind, equal opportunity, but based on merit society’.
oh yeah, this is way more interesting than their several recent coup attempts
way to dig in there
It’s funny that with everything current,y going on with the FBI that Reason chose to dog way back in time for an article. Of course, much of the FBI’s abuse of power is directed at Trump and Trump supporters. So they’re not going to criticize that.
OT; but I noticed that Welch is appearing in Bill Maher. I might have to tune and see how much of his bullshit I can stomach.
I hate you fucking trailer trash conservatives.
Welch is having a blowbang with his democrat pals. It’s just a TDS circle jerk.
potty train your mouth and then maybe try to contribute here…
You’re really gonna spout HATE? arent you on the side of inclusiveness… diversity? tolerance?
Or do you just want to signal that noone here needs to pay attention to anything you have to say?
No, they’re not and he’s too stupid for that anyway.
Shut the fuck up, bitch boy. I contribute more than you do in my day job, already. This comment section is filled with trailer trash level republicans who need to give up their fucking talking points. I just read the articles, but every article has comments spouting the same BS without quit from the same people.
Get the fuck outta the website. These guys are never going to support conservatism. The story is always going to have a socially liberal slant. It’s not about diversity or inclusion, it’s about you getting the FUCK off libertarian comment boards where people DO NOT want to see you.
how can you be contributing more than anyone with a real job when you just bag groceries?… part time… when you’re not out of your mind on meth…