A newly unearthed trove of photographs taken by the New York Police Department in December 1964 reveals a sinister aspect to the city's treatment of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. just one week after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The images, long held in the NYPD's Bureau of Special Services and Investigations files, depict a far more ominous reality behind the scenes of public celebrations.
These photos show a group of police officials paying homage to King as if they were receiving him like a head of state, rather than a prominent civil rights leader. Meanwhile, the prints themselves are marked with a warning stating that "the persons in this photograph are not at liberty to discuss this matter." This phrase underscores the NYPD's intention to conceal their surveillance and infiltration efforts.
The photographs were taken during a time when the city was hosting King as part of a larger effort to present him in a positive light. However, beneath this veneer of respectability lay a web of surveillance and intimidation that targeted King and other civil rights activists.
One image shows Coretta Scott King shaking hands with Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr., while another captures Martin Luther King Jr. standing alongside family members and close associates. Yet none of these individuals appear to have been aware they were being photographed by the police, highlighting a stark contrast between their public persona and private reality.
These images not only demonstrate the extent of NYPD surveillance on civil rights leaders but also reveal how local law enforcement agencies continued to work closely with federal authorities like J. Edgar Hoover's FBI in monitoring activists and sowing discord within social movements.
The photographing of Martin Luther King Jr. by the New York Police Department raises important questions about police surveillance, political manipulation, and the ongoing struggles faced by those advocating for justice and equality today.
These photos show a group of police officials paying homage to King as if they were receiving him like a head of state, rather than a prominent civil rights leader. Meanwhile, the prints themselves are marked with a warning stating that "the persons in this photograph are not at liberty to discuss this matter." This phrase underscores the NYPD's intention to conceal their surveillance and infiltration efforts.
The photographs were taken during a time when the city was hosting King as part of a larger effort to present him in a positive light. However, beneath this veneer of respectability lay a web of surveillance and intimidation that targeted King and other civil rights activists.
One image shows Coretta Scott King shaking hands with Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr., while another captures Martin Luther King Jr. standing alongside family members and close associates. Yet none of these individuals appear to have been aware they were being photographed by the police, highlighting a stark contrast between their public persona and private reality.
These images not only demonstrate the extent of NYPD surveillance on civil rights leaders but also reveal how local law enforcement agencies continued to work closely with federal authorities like J. Edgar Hoover's FBI in monitoring activists and sowing discord within social movements.
The photographing of Martin Luther King Jr. by the New York Police Department raises important questions about police surveillance, political manipulation, and the ongoing struggles faced by those advocating for justice and equality today.
these photos are wild imagine if we took them today, ppl would lose their minds - police officials treating MLK like royalty yet keeping him under close watch it's mind boggling to think about how far surveillance has come (or not) in our time 
and the fact that they could just take these pics without anyone knowing is chilling
. it's a total double standard. and yeah, the fact that they were working closely with Hoover's FBI is just another level of creepiness 
. i mean, we know about all the gov't surveillance and whatnot, but to see it in black and white like this... it's just mind-blowing 
. we gotta keep pushing for transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to law enforcement 
.
. i mean who needs the fbi when you got your own department to do the dirty work? 
that's some creepy stuff right there.
it's like they thought they could just be all friendly faces while still gathering intel. newsflash: you can't have it both ways, NYPD. 
these images are a reminder that even back in '64, law enforcement was more interested in maintaining the status quo than actually making a change.
. And what's up with those warning labels? Like, what are they hiding? 
Anyway, these pics totally expose the dark side of NYC's treatment of civil rights leaders, and it's crazy how closely law enforcement was tied to the FBI at the time 
. It's a total reminder that even in the '60s, there were still plenty of people working against progress 
The way they're treating MLK like he's some kind of celebrity headliner but not even giving the activists who worked with him a heads up that they're being snapped 
is wild. It's like, you'd think they'd want to be seen as on the side of progress, right? But nope, it looks like all this "celebrating MLK" was just a PR stunt to keep an eye on him and other activists 
but nope, cops were still keeping tabs on him like he was some kinda threat 
meanwhile we know he was being hounded by the cops left and right, it's all so crazy 
and what's up with the "not at liberty to discuss" thing? sounds like they were hiding some serious tea 
