Ebook: A spy in Canaan: how the FBI used a famous photographer to infiltrate the civil rights movement

"Ernest Withers captured some of the most iconic moments of the civil rights movement--from the rare photo of Martin Luther King Jr. in repose to the haunting photo of Emmet Till's great-uncle pointing an accusing finger at Till's killers. He was trusted and beloved by King's inner circle, and had a front row seat to history. But what most people don't know is that Withers was an informant for the FBI--and his photos helped the Bureau identify and surveil the era's greatest figures. This book explores the life, complex motivations, and legacy of this fascinating figure."--Provided by publisher.;Introduction -- Part 1. The Assassination: In the shadows ; A moment of peace -- Part 2. The Discovery: The agent's tale ; A bold photographer ; 'No angel' ; Into the shed ; Informant ME 338-R -- Part 3. The Big Break: Up on the ridge ; The secret of the notes ; A tarnished badge ; An accusing finger: the Emmett Till case ; The breakthrough -- Part 4. Spying on the Movement: Assignment: tent city ; Tracking James Forman ; A prolific informant: Summer 1961 ; Communists, socialists, Black Muslims and assorted do-gooders: 1962-1965 ; The electric cross: the FBI gets tough, Summer 1965 ; James Lawson, civil rights and the peace movement ; The war in Memphis: disrupting the peace movement ; The communist resurgence: dirty tricks, fear and harassment -- Part 5. To the Brink: the FBI 's War on Dr. King and Black Power: The rise of the invaders: COINTELPRO, the media and the FBI ; 'Is anyone looking for us?': the risks of working undercover ; 'How rotten, how filthy': undercutting sympathizers and supporters ; Death of a movement: the FBI and the collapse of the SCLC ; The Black Panthers, Hoover and the end of an era -- Afterword.