NEW: Sidney Poitier's FBI File Reveals Suspicion of Oscar Winner's Civil Rights Associations
Important example of the FBI's racism
Sidney Poitier’s FBI file further reveals the FBI’s racism toward civil rights groups and work, Pan-Africanism, and Black celebrities who find success and use their money and fame to bring awareness to important causes of equality.
The file, which I requested of the FBI via the Freedom of Information Act, is just 13 pages long and seemingly incomplete, yet it reveals a lot about the racist mindset of the agency.
Let’s break it down:
The full file is now up on the FBI Vault.
Poitier, who passed away Jan. 2022, was an incredibly well-respected actor and made important contributions to the civil rights movement. The FBI monitored him as they did (and do) many influential Black celebrities.
The files, which include 13 pages starting in 1959 and ending in 1963, are obviously incomplete, as documents mentioning Sidney Poitier were in Aretha Franklin's file but are not included in the file I recently received.
1959: The FBI put in Sidney Poitier's file a news clipping titled "Sidney Poitier Joins as Co-Charman in Youth March for Integration." Poitier had said the campaign "may very well mark a turning point in the struggle for freedom of all Americans."
The event was held on April 18, 1959. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, & many other civil rights heroes attended. High school and college students joined in demanding schools be integrated. We must ask ourselves why this was deemed important to note in Poitier's FBI file.
Here's another news clipping the FBI included about Poitier's involvement with the Youth Integration March. Unfortunately, the FBI often provides copies of documents that have illegible markings, sometimes copying them over and over for effect, so we're unable to read them fully.
1960: This file, declassified 1/4/23, shows that a repeat informant "advised that literature from the African-American Students Foundation, Inc." was "probably getting wide dissemination in the U.S." and may have used NAACP mailing lists and that Sidney Poitier was a member.
This same document highlighting Poitier shows that a 2nd and 3rd informant were also used in gathering information and that [REDACTED] has been advised to "immediately advise [the FBI] of any additional data received concerning the African-American Students Foundation, Inc."
A heavily redacted portion of this document on its 2nd page states, "Enclosed letterhead memoranda have been classified SECRET since they contain [REDACTED] [REDACTED] concerning this matter has carried that classification." Why is this still redacted?
8. 1960: Another doc., declassified 1/18/23, contains a letter furnished to FBI by a "confidential informant," again regarding the African-American Students Foundation, Inc. The letter notes that 40+ colleges/universities granted scholarships to "81 young men and women from Kenya."
The purpose of the letter leaked to the FBI by an informant was to raise $121,500 to bring students from Kenya to the U.S. It is signed off with the names of Jackie Robinson & Sidney Poitier, saying, "we have each personally pledged a part of that sum" for the Kenyan students.
The FBI document notes, "Jackie Robinson, former major league baseball player and Sidney Poitier, actor, are prominent American [racist term] who are outspoken advocates of racial equality."
The formerly secret document continues with a heavily redacted section, saying, "In regard to the American Committee on Africa, a third confidential informant, who has furnished reliable information the past [HEAVILY REDACTED SECTION].
FBI continues: "In regard to TOM MBOYA, a confidential source [REDACTED] described MBOYA as an ardent and extreme Nationalist [REDACTED]." Mboya, a Kenyan Pan-Africanist who worked with MLK, JFK, & Poitier for opportunities for African students, was assassinated in 1964.
The file contains another version of the same letter (this one signed by Jackie Robinson and Sidney Poitier as part of their fundraising efforts for African students) as well as a TIME magazine clipping with details.
1963: FBI document labeled for "racial matters" regards a D.C. benefit preview of the film Lilies of the Field, starring Sidney Poitier. FBI forwarded the information to the MPD (DC police) and notes that the "WFO" (Washington Field Office) will furnish info to the Bureau.
Orgs involved in the preview of Poitier's Lilies of the Field: NAACP, Congress for Racial Equality, Student Nonviolent Co-ordinating Committee, & the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. FBI notes fundraising was for "the furtherance of the programs of these organizations."
Sidney Poitier, very notably, was the first Black actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor. It was for Lilies of the Field, and he won it on April 13, 1964.
More to come!
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Has anything really changed? They murder with impunity, Fred Hampton a perfect example & all those unproven cases they havebthe luxury to hide behind. Other than adding Muslims, any prominent or outspoken LGBTQ & let's not forget the lists of "domestic terrorists" that include any person who protests, speaks out or publicizes proof of the crimes committed by U.S. officials-are prosecuted as "spies". Those who reveal the crimes of "U.S. exceptionalism" status - crimes committed in the names of every U.S. citizen - are thrown into "gitmo" type dungeons, abused & tortured while the criminals walk free, engage in paid speaking tours, enjoy life while vacationing in one of their summer mansions - business as usual. U.S. spying has only added more targeted "suspicious type" residents to their list while any potential actual threats aren't investigated. The American public should wake up to the fact any fear should be directed towards a government who lies on a consistent basis & hides behind national secrets & over applied confidentiality & "classified" documents - redacted only to protect the guilty. be wary - anything you say, text, tweet or otherwise mention - particularly criticizing America's "activities" - can put you on "the list" of domestic terrorists". Nothing has changed - just an expansion of the types.
Okay, this is interesting, however the FBI had many similar files on white celebrities as well, so this isn't really an example of racism. One famous white celebrity who was constantly hounded by the FBI and had a plethora of files on them is Frank Sinatra. Many Jewish celebrities also had files, like John Garfield. The FBI liked to keep tabs on public figures regardless of race.