The three-letter acronym for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI, conjures up a plethora of emotions, suspicions and reactive behaviors with the mere mention of it.
These emotions and reactive behaviors are experienced by the political elites, social activist, and the common citizens, and are a mixture of fear, anger, distrust, and a lament for justice.
The emotional and psychological reactions to the “mention” vary based on the tone and tenor, and the individual’s perception of authority.
The authoritarian President-elect Donald Trump’s contentious relationship with the agency reflects a broader challenge with maintaining trust, loyalty, and aligning the independent law enforcement agency with his agenda.
In an era of political polarization, a call for the overhaul or dismantling of the agency will be implemented by the appointed agency head. The FBI has come to be viewed of late as a tool of oppression. Those harboring this view have the authority to minimize the influence welded by the agency.
The “mention” to persons of African descent, the “mention” to Civil Rights activist and social justice organizations conjures up thoughts of suspicion, remembrance of intimidation, reflections of oppressive measures exacted by the agency of J. Edgar Hoover.
The 48-year tyrannical leadership of Hoover was a reign of abuse of power that intimidated groups on the social, political, and individual levels. It became his personal tool of oppression, intimidation, and manipulation.
His amassed power intimidated and frustrated Presidents Truman, John Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson.
Hoover’s agency conflated social justice activism with communism, and Civil Rights leaders as threats to national security.
We can empathize with Pres. Elect Trump. Since the Civil Rights era, the marginalized Americans of melanin rich skin have cast a suspicious eye of mistrust on the FBI.
In 1956, Hoover launched COINTELPRO to monitor, infiltrate, and disrupt social and political activism. Specifically targeting Civil Rights groups in the 1960s. The goal was to sow discord, discredit leaders, and prevent the rise of a “messiah” who could bring unity to the Black Liberation Movement.
The FBI, a government agency, positioned itself as an enemy of social justice, and the guardian of the status quo. They employed a range of unethical, controversial practices to subvert progress toward social equality.
Dr. King’s was subjected to wiretapping, smear campaigns and propaganda to discredit his character and reputation. The agency infiltrated the ranks of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panther Party, and the Nation of Islam.
The Agency played a significant role in the murder of Chicago Black Panther organizer, Fred Hampton. The FBI often failed to protect Civil Rights activists against violence, although often forewarned of potential violence erupting in opposition to the activist’s staged events.
We can empathize with the suspicion, the erosion of trust, and intimidation Pres. Elect Trump may be experiencing. The African American has been subjected to it for decades. We lacked authority to do anything about it. We were not positioned to fire the Director or restructure the agency to our advantage. We just wanted the right to vote.
President Trump considers the FBI part of a “deep state” conspiracy that worked to undermine his presidency. There’s an irony embedded in his position.
The Agency conspired to disrupt the efforts of Civil Rights organizations, discredit activist leaders, sow discord, and disrupt progress toward full participation in the dream American citizenship promised. Only it wasn’t “deep state” conspiracy, it was agency policy.
The irony of it all is that the marginalized, the people of melanin rich skin – Black and Brown, and Red, have historically maintained a tenor of suspicion of the FBI.
More than likely, the level of suspicion will only grow more deeply ingrained, in perception and perspectives, with the new Director and the diminished independence of the restructured agency.