Famed Civil Rights Photographer, Ernest Withers, was an FBI informant

[Roger Hicks]

Phew!

Can't help feeling that the late Marty Forscher - rebuilding cameras for free for Civil Rights photographers - had a different viewpoint.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Memphis: Thanks.

This is REAL history.

The story is told of on elderly Fellow of All Souls, being interviewed in his 90s. The interviewer asked, "If you could give one piece of advice to someone coming up to university today, 70 years after you first came up yourself, what would that advice be?"

After some hesitation, he replied, "Always verify your sources..."

Cheers,

R.

 

[robklurfield]

Blake thanks for posting this. I'm left kind of speechless by it and not sure what to conclude. Chilling, in any case. The photographs, I think, can stand on their own; but this certainly alters their context and his place in history. Chilling.

 

[robklurfield]

sounds just like what J. Edgar did. he used any available tool. 'tis a pity.

memphis

so, he used leicas, hassies, rolleis, canon rebels, and any other tool that suited his needs

 

[lacavol]

Thanks for the info, in the 70's I lived close to the Coliseum. I doubt WDIA still has the blues festival. I went back recently for a quick trip and saw they rebuilt Stax, thought I got caught in a time warp.

 

[f16sunshine]

Ernest Withers a FBI spy?

Ernest Withers a FBI spy?

Interesting development .

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012889616_spyphotog14.html

 

[atlcruiser]

Why all the concern?

What a knee jerk reaction!

FBI = BAD
J Edgar Hoover = BAD
Civil rights = good
MLK = Good

Life is just not like that no matter how much some would like to remember it to be.

This man was a successful, reknown, adult. He made choices based on what he thought was right. Who are we 40 years to lament what he did? Or to question it?