April 4, 2010, marked the 42nd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.  But this year, we're finally on the verge of getting access to long-withheld records about Dr. King's assassination--and to find out which have been destroyed.

In a recent letter Senator John Kerry wrote to the head of the National Archives says he wants to release "all records related to the...death of Dr. King, including inquiries by federal, state, and local agencies." In his letter to David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, Senator Kerry wrote,

"Dr. King challenged the conscience of my generation, and his words and legacy continue to move young Americans to action today. His love and faith is alive in the millions of Americans who volunteer each day in soup kitchens or in schools. His vision and his passion are alive in churches and on campuses when millions stand up against the injustice of discrimination or the indifference that leaves too many behind."
 
The goal of the new King Act is to build on the successes of the JFK Act, while avoiding its problems. There is some support in the House for holding a hearing about the new King Act that would not only identify unreleased King assassination records but would also point out JFK assassination files that have still not yet been released or that were routinely destroyed after the JFK Act was passed.

Back on January 18, 2010, a Boston Globe article entitled "US cloaks case files involving civil rights" revealed that Senator John Kerry plans to introduce a new law requiring the release of all files about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. The law will be modeled on the 1992 JFK Act.

The Globe article says that King's associate, Rep. John Lewis, will introduce the new King Act in the House. Also supporting the new King Act is Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, originally a staff member on the House Select Committee on Assassinations(HSCA).

The most important thing you can do to get all the files released is to help get members of Congress to co-sponsor the new Martin Luther King Records Act. The more co-sponsors the King Act has, the more quickly a hearing can be held and the new law passed.  You can ask your Senators to contact Sen, Kerry, and your Representative to contact Rep. Lewis, to express their willingness to co-sponsor the new legislation.

This is an election year for all of the House and many in the Senate, and it's hard to think of any legitimate reason a member of Congress or Senator wouldn't want to see all the King assassination files released. Likewise, while many of us don't always agree on exactly who killed JFK and Dr. King, we believe all of us want to see the King assassination files released and a hearing in Congress about why so many JFK assassination files (and tapes) remain secret.

Take a few minutes to write your member of Congress a short, polite letter or email including that you want the 1992 JFK Act fully enforcedand help to get both sets of files released.

The more co-sponsors the King Act gets, the better, so please also forward this letter to anyone you think might be interested. And please don't forget to email or call your members of Congress.

 
If you'd like to get the remaining JFK assassination files released before the year 2017, and the congressional King assassination records before 2029, you can find and contact your members of Congress by following this link to http://www.vote-smart.org.

"One of the best ways to honor the memory of Dr. King is to ensure that future generations will be able to learn from this incredible leader. I hope you will join me in this very important effort: to preserve these precious records relating to the life and death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

JFK Lancer Productions & Publications, founded in 1995, is a historical research company specializing in the administration and assassination of President John F. Kennedy. 

• JFK Lancer works with the largest, most active group of President John F. Kennedy historical researchers and our conferences have had many of the most respected of the researchers from around the world speak on the assassination and on President Kennedy's policies.

• JFK Lancer subscribes to the values of patriotism, excellence, integrity and dedication to the revealing of truth surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

• The goal of JFK Lancer is to make research materials concerning President John F. Kennedy's assassination easily available to everyone. Our prime concern is the accuracy of history and the true story of the turbulent 1960s.