PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A new series of billboards throughout the state of Florida - including some in the Bay area - is stirring up debate about the politics of a civil rights legend.

The billboards feature the words "Martin Luther King Jr. was a Republican" and a photograph of the icon. The ads are part of a campaign by the National Black Republican Association, which the group says is a new phase of their nation-wide public education campaign.

One billboard has been erected along U.S. 19 N., near Ulmerton Road. There are others in Hillsborough, Sarasota and Manatee counties, as well as other locations throughout Florida.

The King Center in Atlanta said they question whether the billboard is accurate, and that there is no proof that King was ever a Republican.

The association said they are just trying to educate people about the party's civil rights history.

Norman Brown, the head of the St. Petersburg National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said signs like this serve to confuse people rather than educate them, and that it diverts their attention away from the issues of the day. He added that King was not a politician, and that instead, his activism was issue-oriented.

The National Black Republican Association said this is just the beginning of their campaign. They also expect to send out mass mailings and sell t-shirts. As for the billboards, they will be up for at least the next 30 days.

This isn't the first time a Republican organization has attempted to use this tactic. Two years ago, the National Republican Association was criticized for running radio ads with a similar message in other states. The director of the group said Floridians can expect to hear those radio ads soon, as the association plans to buy airtime in the areas where the billboards are displayed.