He Hated Martin Luther King Jr.
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Hoover was not a fan of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. He did whatever he could to link the civil rights movement to communism. In 1964 Hoover told the media, “Dr. Martin Luther King is the most notorious liar in the country.” He also directed FBI personnel to “neutralize” King by leaking information about his extramarital affairs.
Hoover was really upset after MLK was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. When the nation mourned King’s assassination, Hoover responded by spending the day at the race track. He also tried to block King’s birthday from becoming a national holiday.
