Franklin Saint and the Black Messiah: Who watches the watchmen?
On February 21st, 1965 Malcom X was assassinated. On February 20, 2021 a letter alleged to be written by Raymond Wood was revealed to the public in a press conference held by Raymond Wood’s cousin and Malcom X’s daughters. The letter alleges that a former undercover NYPD officer Raymond Wood was pressured through threats by the FBI to play an ancillary role that would ensure Malcom X would not have proper security. Here we have a letter which seemingly confirms a belief held by a significant portion of the country: the Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved in, if not in charge of, the assassination of Malcom X.
The publication of this letter comes on the heels of Judas and the Black Messiah being released. A movie about the Revolutionary Fred Hampton. Many who have seen the movie were in shock by how the police treated Fred Hampton and other Black Panthers. This shock was bolstered after a quick google search reveals that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved in the assassination of this young, black activist.
As the energy behind Judas and the Black Messiah will be inevitably subsiding, season 4 of Snowfall will drop on February 24th at 10PM eastern time on FX. For the unfamiliar, Snowfall is a show about a young, black man from South Central named Franklin Saint. Franklin almost “made it out” until his college tuition payment was late and he was all but forced to drop out. Upon moving out Franklin starts out selling weed and quickly escalates. As Franklin gets involved in the cocaine trade, the role Central Intelligence Agency’s role is revealed. Let it suffice to say, I am as excited for Season 4 of Snowfall as the frat bros were for Breaking Bad.
The CIA and the FBI seem to be playing a game of 1972 Atari Pong with the mistrust of the Black community. Snowfall does not claim to be based on a true story, but it may as well be. On October 23rd, 1996, Jack Blum, the former special counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Narcotics and International Operations, testified that criminal organizations and covert operations go together like “love and marriage.” Let that sit, the former attorney for the law making committees who would have the most knowledge about activities acknowledged that our covert intelligence agents are likely embedded with foreign criminal organizations. Ironically, Season 4 of Snowfall drops only hours after the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded the confirmation hearing for Joe Biden’s nominee for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns. During Burns’ confirmation hearing, the topic of surveillance of those living in America was not mentioned. Furthermore, the fact that the Senate Intelligence Committee does not have one black person sitting on it is concerning, to the say the least.
Rewind to February 22nd and 23rd — the confirmation hearing for Merrick Garland. A hearing designed to help elected officials determine whether or not Garland is qualified to be the top law enforcement officer in the country. As the top law enforcement officer in America, Garland’s authority extends to the same FBI that helped (and possibly planned) the assassination of Malcom X and Fred Hampton. At one point in the hearing, in response to a question raised by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, Garland states that he would “resign if asked to do something illegal or unethical.” Many will use the question and answer to show Republicans are concerned about political prosecution, and Joe Biden and the Democrats have selected a sound nominee that will have high ethics standards for himself and his department.
The important part of Cornyn’s question and Garland’s response is what went unasked and therefore unanswered. Over the course of two days no questions focused on the surveillance of black activist organizations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agencies, or other federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies that will be under Garland’s authority. No questions focused on whether the federal government will assist or urge the opening, or the re-opening, of investigations into wrongdoing committed against black activist organizations by federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The Senate Judiciary Committee did not shy away from controversial topics during the judge’s hearing, nor did it fail to implicate the FBI. Even more, the committee implicated the FBI and its quasi-political investigations. Committee members from the conservative political persuasion were successful in undermining the integrity of the FBI and the DOJ. Multiple members questioned the transparency and honesty of the FBI’s investigation into the 45th president and then weaponized that skepticism. If only the black community was defended from the gatekeepers with as much veracity as Trump loyalists defend him.
Why do I say all of this? I predict that we are in an era where mutual aid funds will become more popular, where more organizations will be started to provide tutoring and food to kids in underserved communities, and jobs and housing will be provided to the unemployed and homeless. I do not think this will be a result of the slight control democrats have on the federal government. Instead, I believe this will be (and SHOULD be) the result of community mobilization. As the community begins to take matters into its own hands, as has happened in the past, the federal government will grow concerned. Without questions about past practices that were implemented to undermine black liberation efforts, how will we know whether or not Merrick Garland believes the FBI targeting mutual aid organizations is illegal or unethical? If we do not know whether William Burns thinks it is illegal or unethical to monitor those living in America, how do we prevent such surveillance from happening or hold the CIA accountable when it does? These questions need to be asked. Do away with the fluff. Get to the questions those living in America want answered.
