Backdrop image for movie The FBI's War on Black America

The FBI's War on Black America (1990)

Through a secret program called the Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO), there was a concerted effort to subvert the will of the people to avoid the rise "of a Black Messiah" that would mobilize the African-American community into a meaningful political force. This documentary establishes historical perspective on the measures initiated by J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI which aimed to discredit black political figures and forces of the late 1960's and early 1970's. Combining declassified documents, interviews, rare footage and exhaustive research, it investigates the government's role in the assassinations of Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and Martin Luther King Jr. Were the murders the result of this concerted effort to avoid "a Black Messiah"?

    Top billed cast

    • Photo of H. Rap BrownH. Rap BrownSelf
    • Photo of Kwame TureKwame TureSelf
    • Photo of Eldridge CleaverEldridge CleaverSelf (archive footage)
    • Photo of Kathleen CleaverKathleen CleaverSelf
    • Photo of Fred HamptonFred HamptonSelf (archive footage)
    • Photo of Malcolm XMalcolm XSelf (archive footage)
    • Photo of Huey P. NewtonHuey P. NewtonSelf (archive footage)
    • Photo of Geronimo PrattGeronimo PrattSelf
    • Photo of Bobby RushBobby RushSelf

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