Reaction to President Trump's order to declassify assassination files

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday declassifying files relating to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This order comes 62 years after JFK was assassinated and 57 years after RFK and MLK were killed.

According to the White House, the order asks that there is a plan within 15 days to release the full and complete assassination records for John F. Kennedy and a 45-day plan for the release of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr's assassination records.

"When leaders are taken away from us their families, their spouses, their children are affected. But when national leaders like Dr. King, like President Kennedy, like Attorney General Kennedy are taken away from us, it's something I don't think we fully recover from," said Rev. Lukata Mjumbe, the Executive Director of the Alabama African American Civil Rights Heritage Sites Consortium.

Rev. Mjumbe said often times there is a fascination with declassified files.

"At the consortium, we believe that we need to learn much more and better understand that information which is already public. That information which is already declassified," said Rev. Mjumbe.

According to Mjumbe, it's unknown what the files may consist of, but he feels it's important to acknowledge the impact the three men had on the country.

Prior to signing this order, President Trump said he promised to release the records.

Rev. Mjumbe said the consortium which is located in Birmingham has resources for anyone interested in learning more about the lives of our national leaders. A video can be found here.