Abraham Bolden

Abraham Bolden - Abraham Bolden was the 1st African American Secret Service Agent on White House detail, handpicked by President Kennedy himself. Bolden was not on duty that fateful day in Dallas and that haunts him to this day. He fully  believes  that had he only been there, that somehow, someway, he would have found away to keep the president alive, even if that meant taking that fatal bullet himself. Bolden was subsequently set up by the Secret service to silence his whistle blowing damning accusations about drunk agents that day in Dallas, accusations that were validated shortly thereafter.

Synopsis: Tonight living history. Fate & destiny took its turn throughout this story, including where he first met and was introduced to JFK. Bolden, a “Negro” agent living in Chicago in 1962, was assigned the derogatory task of guarding the toilet; out of sight, out of mind. Too much coffee at breakfast brought JFK bounding down the stairs, entourage in tow, until he saw Bolden. He stopped mid-stride, spoke with Bolden for several minutes and then asked him if he would serve on his protective detail. Of course he would; “see you next week in Washington” was the response by the young president.

There are heart wrenching and riveting personal stories about how Bolden was willing to lay his life down not only for the president but for the first lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Caroline as he recounts a story when on duty protecting them. Bolden was highly liked by Kennedy who took a shining to him and introduced him to a who’s who of White House movers & shakers including his brother Bobby who offered him a job as an ambassador.

Appallingly, Bolden also witnessed fellow agents pick up women to have sex with while on duty, supposedly protecting the president. On many occasions, there were also agents on duty too drunk to walk, let alone be called upon in an emergency. Indeed his fears were realized when it was discovered the Secret Service agents on Kennedy’s trip to Dallas that fateful day were all found to have been boozing all night long at a strip club until 7 am, some never having been to bed at all. Bolden was also subjected to rampant racism from his fellow Secret Service agents who did not like the fact he was working alongside them. They put a noose above his desk, called him “Nigger” to his face, and set him up in an effort to silence Bolden’s whistle blowing, damning statements about the president’s lack of professional Secret Service protection and drunken agents.

To this day, Bolden is driven to tell the truth about those events that so devastated a nation and the truth about his own role to bring about justice to the President he so desperately tried to save and loyally served. The truth will set you free.

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