“As a crime fiction writer, I know you can’t make this stuff up. As an American, I’m troubled that it is still so entirely believable—and topical—some fifty years later.”
—Theresa Schwegel, Edgar Award Winner
In 1999, a largely unknown civil trial found government agencies guilty of conspiring to assassinate Martin Luther King. The verdict and other circumstances have cast doubt on initial findings that a blundering criminal named James Earl Ray operated as the lone perpetrator. Drawing from a vast bounty of shrouded government reports, preeminent books, articles and witness accounts, Dan Taber offers an astute answer to the question of who was really responsible for the death of the greatest American equal rights proponent.
Curiously, that answer is connected to a continually unfolding story. Fifty years later, echoes of the civil rights era resound. Systemic racism remains and the forces that foster wealth inequality have
grown stronger. In order to cultivate change, it is necessary to recognize the obstacles to cultural progress. Therein lies the extraordinary value of Tragedy of Kings. It traces the evolution of gluttonous corporate strategies and demonstrates how propaganda is driven into the minds of voters through industry-backed online campaigns. Incidentally, the destructive impacts of business consolidation, white-collar crime and inadequate education are illuminated. There are a lot of reasons why all of this matters, but most importantly, knowledge is the power that will revive King’s dream.
Insight
When I searched online for the trial that found government agencies guilty of assassinating Dr. King (King v. Jowers . . .), the first two results that appeared were links to the Justice Department responding to the allegations against them. I suggest that anyone interested in truth read the trial transcript as well as the responses from the DOJ.
Another result was a Snopes article that referred to this claim: “The U.S. government was sued and found culpable for the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., but the news media refused to report it.” Kim LaCapria, who wrote the article, called that claim “mostly false.” In her explanation, however, she established that the claim was mostly true. She admitted “. . . rudimentary research would confirm the claim’s basics (i.e., the verdict in a wrongful death civil action did allow that “government agencies” participated in a conspiracy to assassinate Dr. King).” In addition, she wrote: “the shaky foundation upon which the conspiracy theory rests is a matter of some nuance,” yet she failed to explain why. It doesn’t appear that she read King v. Jowers.
The only slightly questionable part of the claim involves whether “the news media failed to report . . .” the trial. In truth, two journalists attended King v. Jowers from beginning to end. It was scarcely reported. Nor was it explored in many books on King.
The full transcript of King v. Jowers and Other Unknown Co-Conspirators is no longer available at thekingcenter.org. When it was there, as recently as 2018, I verified that it was the same transcript still currently available here.
Dan Taber
Dan Taber spent his formative years performing music and wandering the forests of America. An avid writer and teacher, he plays soccer on weekends, skis the Green Mountains and tends a vegetable garden with his wife and young son. Dan graduated cum laude from Purchase College with a dual degree in music and literature.
Martin Luther King
American Hero
Customer reviews
Rhea N. Russell
“This book is a well documented testimony of the greed and power of the wealthy/hierarchy. It illuminates the need for honesty, truth and for us as individuals to make informed judgments realizing that often what the media, politicians, etc. are feeding us is glorified film-flam.”
Dennis Choinski
“A non-fiction work that brings awareness and reignites the heart of the Civil Rights Era while it cleverly reveals modern economic problems and solutions as well. A must read for now and our future!”
Brenda Hollander
“An articulate and engrossing account of the circumstances leading up to the assassination. One feels for the man that Martin Luther King was, and for the people he represented. The presentation of the facts is heart-rending—Taber beautifully explores the machine, operated by humans, yet virtually inhumane.”
