American singer Aretha Franklin was monitored by the FBI, according to documents released on September 7 and published on the Twitter account of journalist Jenn Dize, after requesting the records in 2018, the year in which the artist died.
The 270-page report states that Franklin was under investigation for her civil rights activism, and in particular for her friendship with Angela Davis and Martin Luther King Jr., leaders of social struggles in the US.
In addition, the FBI perceived the singer as a person associated with “African-American extremists”, in particular, the Black Liberation Army (BLA, for its English acronym) and communist organizations. For example, the file includes notes on the singer’s performance at a 1972 fundraising concert for Davis’ release from prison, sponsored by “an organization founded by the Communist Party USA.”
After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, the “Queen of Soul” participated in a concert in his honor along with other artists. The FBI said some of them “some have supported the concept of militant black power and most have been at the forefront of various civil rights movements.”
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Another document called Franklin’s appearances at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, whose 10th meeting took place at an Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. served as assistant priest, events of “communist infiltration.” A “confidential source” told the agency that a member of that organization claimed the US government was “engaged in acts of genocide against the Vietnamese people.”
Later, in May 1973, the Federal Bureau of Investigation admitted that the singer had no connection with the Negro Liberation Army. “Given the fact that there is no evidence of Ms. Franklin’s involvement in BLA activities and given her fame as a singer, it is believed that it would not be in the agency’s best interest to attempt to question her.” , FBI document details.
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Aretha Franklin (1942-2018), known as the ‘Queen of Soul’, won 18 Grammy Awards, was the first woman to enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is considered one of the most important singers of all time.
Original news from RT in Spanish.
