How the FBI used covert sabotage to dismantle American civil rights movements

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Between 1956 and 1971, the FBI operated a secret program called COINTELPRO to neutralize domestic groups it deemed subversive. By painting activists as communists and inciting internal violence, the bureau sought to protect the existing social order, leaving a legacy of surveillance that continues to shape modern political discourse.

Launched in 1956, COINTELPRO—short for Counterintelligence Program—was initially designed to undermine the Communist Party of the United States. However, under the direction of J. Edgar Hoover, the program expanded significantly during the 1960s. The FBI began targeting a wide array of domestic organizations, including the Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam, and civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The bureau’s stated objective was to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize these movements, which Hoover viewed as threats to national security.

The FBI’s tactics were often aggressive and deceptive. Agents utilized psychological warfare, forged documents, and planted false media reports to sow discord within organizations. For example, in 1968, the FBI sent a fake letter to the Black Panther Party to incite conflict with the US Organization, hoping to trigger violence between the two groups. Assistant FBI director William C. Sullivan later testified that the bureau made no distinction between these domestic targets and Soviet agents, justifying the use of rough, tough techniques to maintain the status quo.

While COINTELPRO officially ended in 1971, its impact remains a subject of intense historical scrutiny. The program accounted for only about 0.2% of the FBI’s total workload over its 15-year lifespan, yet it drew sharp criticism from Congress for violating First Amendment rights. Today, researchers at institutions like UC Berkeley are analyzing thousands of declassified pages to understand how these historical surveillance methods mirror modern efforts to discredit contemporary social movements. The documents serve as a stark reminder of how federal power has been used to quell dissent throughout the 20th century.

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