Dear Friend,

Newly leaked documents show that the FBI has lied about the extent of its tracking of Black activists, while consistently obscuring the real threat of white supremacy. We're demanding that Congressional leaders act immediately to hold the Bureau accountable.₁

When FBI director Christopher Wray told Congress earlier this year that his agency no longer uses the “Black Identity Extremist” (BIE) label, and that they focus on violence and not ideology in determining what to investigate, he wasn't telling the truth. Documents obtained by The Young Turks make clear that the FBI under Trump has not only continued programs related to the made-up "Black Identity Extremist" label, but actually prioritized these investigations over the targeting of white supremacists. ₂

The Bureau also developed a new infiltration program called “Iron Fist” to study the "threat" of groups within the "BIE movement" — without any evidence that these groups participated in terrorism. This continues the FBI’s long history of spying on and attempting to disrupt the fight for racial justice, which included surveilling Martin Luther King. Jr. in the 60s. This connection between COINTELPRO and the "Black Identity Extremist" programs of today is something our Black-led delegation emphasized to Congress last month, as they shared personal stories of being terrorized.₃ 

Based on the new documents, we're amplifying our call to House leaders to help end all FBI programs based on the made-up “BIE” label immediately, stop the bureau from grouping white supremacist incidents with Black protests against police violence, and force them to be transparent about the funding used to investigate domestic terrorist groups.
 
The FBI is directing its resources into criminalizing Black activists for exercising their right to dissent at the exact time white supremacists are organizing online and violently attacking communities of color. This dangerous prioritization and false assessment is putting millions of lives at risk. Our elected officials have a responsibility to intervene ASAP.

Tweet Rep. Elijah Cummings, Rep. Jerry Nadler, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson and urge them to use their oversight powers to force the FBI to meet our demands and #ProtectBlackDissent. 

In Solidarity,

Myaisha and the rest of Team #MediaJustice

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Sources:
1. Leaked FBI Documents Reveal Bureau's Priorities Under Trump - The Young Turks
2. FBI Abandons Use of Term "Black Identity Extremism - The Wall Street Journal
3. Why We're Urging Congress to #ProtectBlackDissent - MediaJustice