Inside the Black Desk Operation: Darthard Perry’s Role in Undermining the Civil Rights Movement
A Black FBI Informant Exposes the Conspiracy Against African American Progress
In this video, Darthard Perry, a former FBI agent, candidly revealed the lengths to which the United States government penetrated the fabric of African American culture. This self-declared "infiltrator" seemed almost boastful as he recounted his role in dismantling Black organizations, suggesting that their culture was exploited and manipulated as a weapon against them. Despite the revulsion, one might feel when watching the video of his confession, it offers a fascinating insight into the power dynamics of the time. The probing interview was conducted by the late, revered journalist Gil Noble.
This dark chapter of history exposes the FBI's deliberate attempts to dismantle African American society using tactics like infiltration, counterintelligence programs, and drug abuse. Key figures in black history, such as Marcus Garvey, Paul Robeson, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and the Black Panthers, were all targeted. The use of drugs, particularly heroin, and crack, played a significant role in this destructive campaign.
Darthard Perry, also known as Ed Riggs, ended his life in poverty and obscurity, but his impact on the Black community was far-reaching. His activities weren't limited to spying on Black organizations; he also initiated platforms for Black expression that gave rise to some of the most influential Black artists. Then, shockingly, he would destroy these platforms.
Working for the FBI, Perry profoundly influenced the black music scene and the exchange of ideas within the black community. He received weekly remuneration for his subversive activities from his FBI handlers. Despite being a jazz enthusiast, Perry acknowledged that the Feds had a strong grasp on black music and culture trends, which was particularly prevalent over 45 years ago.
Perry's infiltration wasn't confined to cultural spaces; he was also a part of the Black Panthers, where he witnessed murders commissioned by the FBI through other operatives. He worked under the umbrella of an initiative known as the Black Desk, a campaign dedicated to surveilling, infiltrating, and discrediting African American leaders, artists, and organizations. Although the headquarters were in Washington D.C., Perry disclosed satellite offices scattered across major cities, suggesting similar operations may continue.
Perry, a former military intelligence officer known as 'Othello' to the FBI, was allegedly blackmailed into becoming an informant. However, his actions resonate more with those of an agent. In 1975, he testified before the United States Senate about his covert missions.
In 1980, Perry took part in this revealing and emotionally charged interview on "Like It Is" with Gil Noble, a distinguished African American journalist. During the program, aired on New York City's ABC-TV flagship affiliate, Channel 7, Perry confessed his fear for his life and described his involvement in various illicit activities on behalf of the FBI, including arson and bombings.
He died in obscurity in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 2, 2022.