The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a complex history with regards to the Black community in the United States. Throughout much of its early history, the FBI, under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, engaged in surveillance, infiltration, and disruption of civil rights organizations and Black activists. Hoover famously referred to Martin Luther King Jr. as "the most notorious liar in the country," and authorized wiretapping and other forms of surveillance on him and other Black leaders.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the FBI's COINTELPRO program targeted Black activists and organizations, seeking to undermine their efforts and sow discord within their ranks. This included tactics such as spreading misinformation, inciting violence, and even assassination attempts. The FBI's surveillance and harassment of Black activists continued well into the 1970s and beyond.

Despite this dark history, there were also instances where the FBI played a role in advancing civil rights for Black Americans. For example, the FBI investigated and prosecuted cases of racially motivated violence, such as the 1964 murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner in Mississippi. The FBI also worked with the Department of Justice to enforce federal civil rights laws and desegregate schools and public facilities.

In recent years, the FBI has made efforts to address its history of targeting Black activists and communities. In 2015, then-FBI Director James Comey acknowledged the agency's past misconduct and the need to learn from it. The FBI has also taken steps to increase diversity within its ranks and engage with community organizations to build trust and address racial disparities in policing.

Overall, the FBI's relationship with the Black community in the United States is a complex and troubled one, marked by both oppression and moments of collaboration in the pursuit of justice and civil rights.