MLK's Daughter Had A Brutally Straightforward Response To Trump's MLK Files Release

    The daughter of the late Civil Rights leader did not mince words.

    Alana Valko
    by Alana Valko

    BuzzFeed Staff

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    On Monday, more than 230,000 pages tied to the 1968 murder of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were released to the website of the National Archives.

    A person in a suit and tie is looking forward, with a calm expression
    Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

    Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the Trump administration is "ensuring that no stone is left unturned" in delivering "complete transparency" on the case.

    Tweet from Tulsi Gabbard discussing the 2023 release of documents about Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, including FBI investigation details
    @DNIGabbard / Via Twitter: @DNIGabbard

    Some historians of Dr. King have argued that the files include little to no new information on the case that hasn't already been disclosed. Others view the release of the files, which came with no prior notice, as a political move to divert discussion away from the backlash and public demands to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Among the dissenters are Dr. King's children.

    In a joint statement from both Dr. Bernice A. King and her brother, Martin Luther King III, they requested that "those who engage with the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint and respect for our family's continuing grief." The siblings emphasized that the files should be viewed within their "full historical context," writing, "During our father's lifetime, he was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign."

    Statement from me and my brother, Martin Luther King IlI, on the Release of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination Files

    “We recognize that the release of documents concerning the assassination of our father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has long been a subject of interest,… pic.twitter.com/GHHcNZ53nM

    — Be A King (@BerniceKing) July 21, 2025
    Twitter: @BerniceKing
    "While we support transparency and historical accountability, we object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods," the statement also read.

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    The King Center, led by Bernice, also issued a statement, calling the timing of the release "unfortunate" and a distraction from more "pressing issues." It read, "It is unfortunate and ill-timed, given the myriad of pressing issues and injustices affecting the United States and the global society, to distract from the critical needs and traumatic outcomes resulting from these issues and injustices."

    Speaking in Vanity Fair, Bernice added, "Today, I am not writing in my role as CEO of The King Center to address the government's recent release of assassination records. Today, instead, I wonder why I have to be confronted once again with something that was very confusing and distressing for me as a five-year-old."

    A family descends airplane stairs. The man and woman are formally dressed, with a child in a light coat. An airline staff member assists them
    Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

    "I am, honestly, not prepared to revisit the gruesome details of this painful history. For me, there is no real value in it; there is only reliving the trauma," she added.

    And in a final post on X, she kept it brief: "Now, do the Epstein files."

    A tweet by someone named Be A King features a historical figure sitting thoughtfully, with a caption suggesting focus on the Epstein files
    @BerniceKing / Via x.com
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