By Salaaheddin of AllstarsUnitedEnterprise.com
Introduction
The U.S. government’s war against Black unity didn’t start with the crack epidemic or mass incarceration—it was systematically engineered through COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program), a covert FBI operation designed to infiltrate, divide, and destroy Black and Brown liberation movements. While officially discontinued in 1971, its tactics evolved, shaping modern law enforcement’s approach to criminalizing street organizations, activists, and leaders.
From the assassinations of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the destabilization of revolutionary groups like the Black Panther Party in Oakland, COINTELPRO’s fingerprints are everywhere. Today, the same blueprint is used under new names: gang databases, RICO prosecutions, and social media surveillance. This article uncovers the history, the manipulation, and the ongoing war against Black and Latinx communities both in the U.S. and abroad.
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The Assassination of Leaders: Malcolm X & Martin Luther King Jr.
Neutralizing the “Black Messiah”
One of COINTELPRO’s primary goals, according to declassified FBI documents, was to prevent the rise of a Black leader who could unify the masses. J. Edgar Hoover specifically feared a “Black Messiah” who could lead a true liberation movement. This is where the systematic targeting of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes in.
Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) was a prime target due to his ability to mobilize Black people beyond the borders of America. His call for global Pan-Africanism and his exposure of America’s hypocrisy made him a major threat. FBI files confirm that informants were planted inside the Nation of Islam (NOI) to deepen internal divisions, turning members against Malcolm. The final act of betrayal came when he was assassinated in 1965, a hit executed with clear state involvement.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was also marked for destruction, not just for his civil rights activism but for his growing shift toward radical economic change and anti-war stances. Declassified files show the FBI’s attempt to psychologically break him, sending letters urging him to commit suicide. His assassination in 1968, with proven government surveillance and involvement, removed yet another pillar of Black unity.
Both Malcolm and King represented different approaches—one fiery and uncompromising, the other strategic and diplomatic—but both were eliminated because of their potential to unify Black people against systemic oppression.
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Oakland: The Black Panther Party & COINTELPRO’s Strategic Sabotage
Oakland, California, became the epicenter of revolutionary action when Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party (BPP) in 1966. What started as a self-defense group against police brutality quickly grew into a national movement, providing free breakfast programs, healthcare, and education. But to the FBI, the Panthers were Public Enemy #1.
Declassified COINTELPRO files detail how:
Infiltration and Informants: The FBI planted informants within the Panthers to instigate conflicts, spread false rumors, and create distrust among leadership.
Fake Letters and Disinformation: The government forged letters to create feuds between Panther leaders like Huey Newton and Eldridge Cleaver, leading to violent internal splits.
Targeted Assassinations: Fred Hampton, the young, charismatic chairman of the Chicago chapter, was murdered in a coordinated FBI-CPD raid in 1969. Documents later confirmed that the FBI paid informants to betray him and provided the police with a layout of his apartment.
The Panthers were labeled as a “violent gang” rather than a revolutionary organization, setting the stage for how future Black movements—and even street organizations—would be criminalized.
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The Criminalization of Street Organizations
COINTELPRO’s methods were not just used against political groups. As Black and Latinx communities formed their own protection groups—like the Black P. Stones, Gangster Disciples, and Latin Kings—law enforcement used similar tactics to dismantle them.
Black P. Stones: Originally aligned with the Nation of Islam, the group was labeled a “terrorist organization” in the 1970s. FBI informants spread disinformation to cause leadership struggles.
Gangster Disciples (GD): The group had early political and economic ambitions under Larry Hoover’s leadership, but COINTELPRO-style tactics ensured he was imprisoned indefinitely. Even today, Hoover remains locked up under extreme restrictions despite efforts to rebrand GD as a social movement.
Latin Kings: Once deeply involved in community empowerment, the organization was infiltrated by law enforcement to foster internal strife and dismantle leadership structures.
By the 1980s and 1990s, COINTELPRO had evolved into mass incarceration and RICO prosecutions, branding Black and Latinx organizations as nothing more than criminal enterprises.
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Modern COINTELPRO: Surveillance and Digital Policing
Though COINTELPRO officially ended, the same tactics are used today under different names:
1. Gang Databases and Surveillance
Police departments across the U.S. maintain “gang databases” that disproportionately list Black and Brown youth—often with no evidence of criminal activity. A person can be labeled a gang member simply for:
Wearing certain colors
Having tattoos
Associating with suspected members (even family)
Being active on social media
These databases are used to justify harassment, harsher sentences, and even federal indictments.
2. RICO and Federal Prosecutions
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, originally designed for the mafia, is now weaponized against Black and Brown communities.
In cities like Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, entire rap labels and street organizations are hit with RICO cases, often using song lyrics and social media as "evidence" of conspiracy.
Many RICO cases rely on informants, continuing COINTELPRO’s tradition of betrayal from within.
3. Social Media and AI Policing
Modern COINTELPRO-style operations now include digital monitoring:
Police and FBI agents create fake social media accounts to infiltrate online communities and gather intelligence.
Predictive policing software disproportionately targets Black and Latinx communities based on biased data.
Facial recognition technology is used for mass surveillance, despite studies proving its racial bias.
4. Federal and Local Government Coordination
Just like the FBI and local police worked together to assassinate Fred Hampton, today’s law enforcement partnerships operate under programs like:
Operation Legend: A DOJ initiative that brings federal agents into cities like Chicago to conduct mass arrests.
The War on Gangs: A continuation of COINTELPRO’s criminalization of Black organizations under the guise of public safety.
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The Global Expansion of COINTELPRO Tactics
The U.S. model of counterinsurgency is now used internationally:
France uses surveillance and harsh policing tactics in Black and Arab communities.
Brazil militarizes its favelas, targeting Afro-Brazilian youth in a war on “gangs.”
The UK uses counterterrorism laws against Black activists and Caribbean-descended communities.
The playbook remains the same: infiltrate, divide, criminalize, and suppress any form of resistance.
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Conclusion: A New Era of Resistance
Understanding COINTELPRO’s history is key to recognizing how Black and Latinx communities are still being targeted today. From Malcolm X and Dr. King to modern street organizations, the goal has always been to prevent unity and self-determination.
But history also shows that awareness breeds resistance. Just as the Panthers, Young Lords, and revolutionary leaders fought back, today’s generation must learn from the past, expose the tactics, and find new ways to build.
The war never ended. But neither did the fight.
Sources:
Declassified COINTELPRO FBI documents
The Assassination of Fred Hampton case files
Chicago Police Gang Database Reports
Academic research on RICO and Black criminalization
Digital surveillance studies on racial bias
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