Was Heralded Civil Rights Photographer Ernest Withers Actually A FBI Informant?

Turns out Ernest Withers, a revered civil rights photographer who captured iconic images of Martin Luther King Jr. on the night King was shot in Memphis, actually played a different role the day before: FBI informant.

A just completed a two-year investigation reveals how Withers provided the FBI with details about where King was staying and information on his meeting with black militants on April 3, 1968 — the day before the assassination.

Withers' spying, however, extends far beyond the slain civil rights leader.

Apparently Withers collaborated for years with FBI agents monitoring the civil rights movement. Beloved in Memphis, Tennessee, where a namesake museum is scheduled to open next month, it remains to be seen how these new revelations may affect Withers' legacy.

More here...

Life Fit for a King

Martin Luther King III, wife Arndrea Waters and their first child, Yolanda King, the first grandchild of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King leave the hospital for a new phase of family life.

We wish you all much peace, love and a lifetime of happiness.

First Grandchild Of Martin Luther King Is Born

Yolanda Renee King, the first grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born Sunday in Atlanta. Now what about the remaining King children Dexter and Berniece. That clock is ticking people.

The little bundle is the daughter of Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, the family said in a statement.

The newborn weighed in at 7.5 pounds. Her birth comes two years and two days after her parents were married.

"We are excited about our precious gift from God and cannot express how fortunate we feel to have our beautiful baby girl. It is truly the happiest day of our lives. I know my parents are smiling down from heaven," the new father said in the statement released by Matlock Advertising and Public Relations, which works with the King family.

The girl carries the first name of her father's sister, the oldest of the four King children, who died last year.

CNN.

Is John McCain Seriously Trying To Woo African American Voters?

Don't Trip, The GOP Is Still Ignoring Black Folks!

Spending an unconventional week on the campaign trail, starting with memories of a rebellious youth and capped by an appearance Friday before an understandably hostile African-American crowd gathered in Memphis to remember Martin Luther King Jr., John McCain's got some esplainin' to do!

You don't vote against making King's birthday a national holiday, decline visits to speak before Black civil rights groups, pretend that there's no such thing as Black Republicans who may have actually voted for your old ass, and then pimp King's assassination anniversary for political expediency. Senator, that dog don't hunt!!!

Trying to connect with the brothers after speaking at the Lorraine Hotel, the site where the slaying of the civil-rights icon occurred 40 years ago, candidates usually try to cast their lives in a glossy sheen, and set their speeches before friendly audiences.

But the Arizona senator and presumptive Republican nominee to beome the 44th president of the United States spent the past few days frequently doing the opposite.

He was barely audible at the King event, over a driving rain and murmuring crowd. His speaking style was staid compared with the other speakers, giving his appearance an awkward quality.

"Martin Luther King Jr. was not a man to flinch from harsh truth, and the same is required of all who come here to see where he was in the last hours of his life,"

Sen. McCain said, standing beneath the balcony at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was shot 40 years ago Friday. "We look up to that balcony, we remember that night, and we are still left with a feeling of loss."

As he left the stage, there was a mixture of applause, booing and shouts of "End the war now!" and "No justice, no peace!"

"His words didn't carry the tone and passion that we're accustomed to hearing," said Earl McKinney, 51 years old, an architect born and raised in Memphis. Still, he said, he appreciated the appearance of Sen. McCain, who has said he will compete for African-American votes, normally unfriendly terrain for Republicans. "That shows interest," Mr. McKinney said. "You have to give him something for that."

• Discuss: Which presidential hopeful has the most interesting history?
• Complete Coverage: Campaign 2008

In his telling, a misspent youth and a twisted sense of honor later gave way to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of both honor and his place in the world. The turning point was an oft-told story -- his time as prisoner of war in Vietnam. That, he said in Jacksonville, Fla., where he lived before and after Vietnam, was when he learned the true meaning of honor as he endured beatings and declined an offer for early release.

Sen. McCain largely ignored controversial episodes from his life from more recent years, though on Friday he mentioned his opposition to creating a federal holiday for Dr. King in 1983, his first term in Congress. "I was wrong and eventually realized that," he said to boos from the crowd.
Several times, he tried to tie lessons of his past to the nation's future, as when he pivoted from his enrollment in the Naval Academy to call on Americans to service.

In a question-and-answer session at his former high school, Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., junior Katelyn Halldorson said that students had been told the visit was "not a political event" and yet, she said, it appeared obvious that it was. "So what exactly is your purpose in being here?" she asked. "Not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification."

Sen. McCain stammered through a reply but never fully answered her question. And that is endemic of the party in general. Ironically, Next Gingrich of late seems to be the only White guy in the GOP leadership hierarchy you gets it. Who's have thunk it??? [Wall Street Journal]

MARTIN LUTHER KING III REVEALS SECRET MARRIAGE, BABY ON THE WAY

Martin Luther King III, has pulled a Janet Jackson!

The eldest son of revered civil rights leader — Martin Luther King Jr., reveals that he has been married for nearly two years to longtime girlfriend Arndrea Waters. And better yet, that the couple is expecting a daughter in late spring.

The legacy indeed continues... For more, visit Why Black Women Are Angry.