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.
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The year I spent defending my best friend. The TRUTH is HERE
Extinguished With David McClam & LaDonna Humphrey
Musical Album
The Witch Hunt Of Lanny Hughes
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
