'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Monday, January 15, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US. It is a Federal Holiday, commemorating the birthday of the eponymous Civil Rights activist. Many social media users posted messages celebrating his birthday. However, the FBI's post on X garnered a lot of scrutiny and was promptly flagged with a community note.
For those unaware, community notes are a relatively recent feature on the platform that allow people on X to vote to add more context to posts to avoid misinformation. FBI's post honoring Martin Luther King Jr. was flagged with one such note that mentions the Federal Bureau of Intelligence's past actions against MLK.
The note garnered significant attention among the wider following on the website, going viral. X user @FearedBuck described it as the "most insane community note ever."
"FBI engaged in surveillance of King": Community note on FBI's post on Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK is celebrated worldwide as one of the most influential Civil Rights Activists of the last century. He embodied the spirit of non-violent resistance in the numerous protests he took part in during his lifetime. His fight to get equal rights for the African-American population influenced millions to join the struggle against discrimination and Jim Crow laws.
Born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister by profession and dedicated his life to the civil rights movement from 1955 up till his assassination in 1968.
He was the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, organizing and taking part in boycotts and non-violent protests to affect change in public policy.
The FBI has time and time again been accused of taking several actions against him during his lifetime, with MLK being subjected to tactics including surveillance and being sent anonymous letters.
The aforementioned community note also includes several sources from CBS News and NPR to back its claims.
FBI's post on X backfired, with almost all of the comments deriding the organization. Many noted that it had been flagged by the community, trolling the Federal Bureau of Intelligence with memes.
Here are a few reactions to the post about Martin Luther King Jr.
The original post about MLK features a photo of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC, with the caption reading "the #FBI honors one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement and reaffirms its commitment to Dr. King’s legacy of fairness and equal justice for all."
