Podcast Summary: Stuff You Missed in History Class – "COINTELPRO 2"

Podcast: Stuff You Missed in History Class
Hosts: Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Fry
Publisher: iHeartRadio
Episode Date: February 21, 2026 (originally July 22, 2020)
Main Theme: A deep dive into the FBI’s COINTELPRO operations against civil rights and left-wing groups, focusing on the targeting of Black liberation movements and the New Left, the infamous FBI office break-in that exposed the programs, and the far-reaching consequences.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tracy and Holly conclude their two-part series on COINTELPRO, the FBI’s covert counterintelligence program that targeted various civil rights organizations and vaguely defined left-wing ("New Left") groups during the 1960s and 70s. The episode explores the roots and motivations of COINTELPRO, its tactics against Black nationalist groups (especially the Black Panther Party), the extension to New Left activists, and the pivotal media exposure that led to public outrage and major government inquiries.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Contextual Recap and Warnings

• The hosts begin by recapping part one, quoting the Church Report:

  “The Bureau adopted extralegal methods to counter perceived threats to national security and public order... conducting a sophisticated vigilante operation against domestic enemies.” (03:22)

• The report highlights how targets ranged widely, from violent revolutionaries to peaceful advocates like Martin Luther King Jr.
• Content Warning: The episode touches on suicide and police violence.

2. FBI’s Focus on Black Nationalist Groups

• In 1967, COINTELPRO created a program targeting “Black nationalist hate groups,” often lumping a broad range of organizations together regardless of their actual methods or ideology. (04:59)
• Notable Memo from J. Edgar Hoover (March 4, 1968):
  • Goals included:
    1. Preventing the coalition of militant groups:

       “An effective coalition of black nationalist groups might be the first step toward a real MAU MAU in America, the beginning of a true black revolution.” (05:55)

    2. Preventing the rise of a "messiah" figure.
    3. Preventing violence by identifying and neutralizing “troublemakers.”
    4. Discrediting Black nationalist leaders to various audiences, including Black communities, white liberals, and radicals.
    5. Preventing the recruitment of youth.
• Host Commentary: Tracy points out the contradictions in the FBI’s logic, such as targeting explicitly nonviolent organizations like SNCC and SCLC:

  “SNCC has nonviolent right into the name... This represents the whole spectrum from nonviolent direct action to revolutionary Black nationalism.” (08:42)

3. Targeting the Black Panther Party

• The FBI’s efforts increasingly zeroed in on the Black Panthers by 1968-69.
• Black Panther 10-Point Program: Outlined broad social justice objectives, including “freedom,” “power to determine the destiny of our Black community,” decent housing, education, and an end to police brutality. (11:04–12:24)
• Community Programs: Black Panthers launched practical community services—free breakfasts, medical clinics, sickle cell screenings, etc. Over time, these programs aided anyone oppressed, including impoverished whites. (12:24)
• Public Perception and Media: Despite their service programs, lasting associations of the Panthers with violence and guns prevail, fueled by both public incidents and FBI disinformation.

  “The first thing a lot of people, especially a lot of white people, think of when someone says the Black Panthers is guns and violence.” (13:31)

FBI Disinformation, Harassment, and Deadly Consequences

• Targeted Actions:
  • The majority (233 of 295) of Black nationalist COINTELPRO actions targeted the Panthers.
  • The FBI sabotaged food donations, spread disinformation to incite violence between Panthers and other groups, and tried to reinforce the notion of inherent violence. (15:23)
• Notorious Incidents:
  • The “Black Panther coloring book” was used as a false flag to discredit the group.
  • Jean Seberg Scandal: Actress Jean Seberg was driven to repeated suicide attempts and ultimately an early death following FBI-planted rumors about her pregnancy. (17:00)
  • Fred Hampton Raid: The 1969 Chicago police raid, orchestrated with FBI input, resulted in the deaths of Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. Out of nearly 100 gunshots, only one originated from within the apartment.

    “He’s good and dead now.” (Officer, quoted by Deborah Johnson, 18:14)

4. "COINTELPRO: New Left" and the Crackdown on Student Activism

• Definition and Motivation: “New Left” was never clearly defined by the FBI—more an “attitude” than a specific set of organizations. Sparked by campus protests at Columbia University over racism and the Vietnam War. (22:15–23:07)
• FBI Directives:
  1. Counter “false allegations” of police brutality.
  2. Depict new left activists as immoral/depraved.
  3. Promote college administrators’ authority.
• The FBI sought to justify and protect law enforcement use of force, often minimizing or dismissing documented police brutality.
• Church Report Quote:

  “None of the Bureau witnesses deposed believes the New Left COINTELPRO was generally effective in part because of the imprecise targeting.” (29:34)

5. The Citizens’ Commission Break-In: Exposing COINTELPRO

• Planning and Execution: In March 1971, a group of ordinary anti-war activists broke into an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania, and acquired thousands of secret documents. They selected the night of the Ali-Frazier “Fight of the Century,” assuming most would be distracted. (31:30–33:01)
• Impact:
  • Most news outlets returned the files, but The Washington Post published a front-page story exposing illegal surveillance and operations.
  • “The article described surveillance of black activist organizations and efforts to enhance existing paranoia. To quote further serve to get the point across that there is an FBI agent behind every mailbox.” (33:30)
• Result: J. Edgar Hoover officially cancelled COINTELPRO, but some activities continued unofficially.

6. The Church Committee and Aftermath

• Senate Hearings (1975–76):
  • Launched after Congressional outrage and public furor.
  • Church Committee uncovered the bureaucratic, open documentation of illegal and unethical FBI activities.
  • FBI files were candid—“saying the quiet part loud and doing it in writing”—often laced with racism. (36:59)
• Findings:
  • Widespread, unconstitutional activity: mail fraud, extortion, incitement, and harassment of lawful, peaceful citizens.

  • “The harassment of innocent citizens engaged in lawful forms of political expression did serious injury to the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech..." (39:24)

  • FBI aimed to protect not just national security, but also to preserve the “existing social and political order” by squashing dissent—even lawful speech, teaching, and demonstrations.
• Reforms and Oversight:
  • 96 recommendations for reform: term limits, greater oversight, and legislative changes (FISA).
  • Dramatic drop in public trust for the FBI (84% favorable in 1965 to 37% in 1975).
  • No criminal convictions came from the Church hearings, despite evidence of crimes.

7. Legacy and Modern Parallels

• FBI continued counterintelligence against groups like the American Indian Movement and Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador post-COINTELPRO.

• Language resurfaced in the 2010s: FBI documents cited “Black Identity Extremists” as a violent threat, mirroring rhetoric from the COINTELPRO era.

  “The FBI assesses it is very likely black identity extremists BIE perceptions of police brutality... will very likely serve as justification for such violence.” (43:31)

• The story of the Media break-in was later told in Betty Metzger's book The Burglary and in the documentary 1971. (44:22–end)

Notable Quotes

• COINTELPRO’s Ideological Scope:

  “Whether those targets were really enemies, though, that is a different question.” (03:22 – Tracy)

• FBI’s Rationale:

  "An effective coalition of black nationalist groups might be the first step toward a real MAU MAU in America, the beginning of a true black revolution." (05:55 – Hoover memo)

• On the Black Panthers:

  “They’re just kind of lumped together as though they’re all exactly the same.” (09:40 – Holly)

• Lasting Impact:

  “The harassment of innocent citizens engaged in lawful forms of political expression did serious injury to the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech..." (39:24 – Church Committee)

Major Segment Timestamps

• COINTELPRO goals and rationale: 03:22–08:42
• Black Panthers focus: 11:04–18:47
• Community service programs: 12:24–12:59
• FBI disinformation against Panthers: 15:23–16:41
• Jean Seberg and Fred Hampton incidents: 17:00–18:47
• COINTELPRO “New Left” and campus activism: 22:15–28:53
• Exposure of COINTELPRO — Media, Pennsylvania break-in: 31:30–34:25
• Church Committee and government response: 36:02–41:10
• Long-term effects and modern echoes: 43:12–44:22
• Further reading/documentary recommendations: 44:22–end

Memorable Moments

• Church Report’s unflinching language and the hosts’ dry, incredulous tone.
• The tale of everyday people pulling off the pivotal FBI office break-in (“a cab driver, a daycare center director, a social worker and a professor”) frames the exposure as a real-life David and Goliath story. (31:30)
• Anecdote about SDS headquarters phone: “This phone is tapped.” (30:21)
• Cynicism and bafflement in FBI memos about "hippies":

  “Memos include kind of perplexed sounding references to things like yoga and drugs.” (29:46–30:11)

• Both hosts expressing amazement at the scale, audacity, and far-reaching consequences of COINTELPRO and its exposure.

Conclusion

The episode provides a comprehensive and sobering account of COINTELPRO’s reach, the methods the FBI used to undermine social movements on the left (often violating constitutional rights), and the crucial role of activists and journalists in bringing these abuses to light. The enduring impact of COINTELPRO is reflected in both public distrust of government agency power and in recent echoes of its rhetoric and tactics.

For a closer look at this period and its modern legacy, host Tracy recommends the 2014 documentary "1971" and Betty Metzger’s book The Burglary.

For further feedback or notes, contact the hosts at historypodcast@iheart.com.