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Reverend Al Sharpton

The Reverend Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American politician, minister, and civil rights activist. A Pentecostal, Sharpton was the first major black presidential candidate of the 21st century to run for the Democratic Party nomination, doing so in 2004. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links added permission given by added permission given by http://wmy. ... Image File history File links added permission given by added permission given by http://wmy. ... The Reverend is an honorary prefix added to the names of Christian clergy and ministers. ... Jump to: navigation, search October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ... A minister can mean several things: A government minister is a politician who heads a government ministry A minister of religion is a member of the clergy A minister is the rank of diplomat directly below ambassador This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that... The civil rights movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all citizens of United States. ... The Pentecostal movement within Protestant Christianity places special emphasis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ... Jump to: navigation, search In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ...

Early years

Al Sharpton was born in 1954 to a middle-class family in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a boxer and landlord. Until the age of ten, Al lived a comfortable life in Queens. He preached his first sermon at the age of four, and soon became famous in Brooklyn as the "wonderboy preacher," even touring with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. By the age of nine, he was a fully ordained minister. [1] [2] Jump to: navigation, search 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other meanings, see Brooklyn (disambiguation). ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Queens is geographically the largest of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States, and the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. It is coterminous with Queens County in the State of New York and is located on western Long Island. ... Jump to: navigation, search Gospel music may refer either to the religious music that first came out of African-American churches in the 1930s or, more loosely, to both black gospel music and to the religious music composed and sung by white southern Christian artists. ... Jump to: navigation, search Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson (October 26, 1911–January 13, 1972) was an African American gospel singer, widely regarded as one of the best in the history of the genre. ...

In 1963, his parents separated. Sharpton recalls in a 2002 interview "My daddy walked out on us, and he married my half-sister, Tina. Tina was my mother's daughter from a previous marriage." Al's mother took a job as a maid earning very little, and qualified for welfare; the family moved from their middle-class home in Queens to the projects in Brownsville. [3] Jump to: navigation, search 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A maidservant or in current usage maid is a female employed in domestic service. ... Jump to: navigation, search Public housing or social housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. ... Brownsville is a neighborhood in central Brooklyn, New York. ...

Sharpton's first attempts at organizing people were in high school, where he protested against poor cafeteria food and the dress code. In 1969 he was appointed as youth director of Operation Breadbasket by Jesse Jackson, a group that focused on the promotion of new and better jobs for black Americans. He has also spoken out against cruelty to animals in a video recorded for People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). [4] Jump to: navigation, search 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... Jesse Jackson The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. ...

In the 1970s after two years at Brooklyn College, Sharpton became a tour manager for James Brown, where he met his future wife, Kathy Jordan, a backup singer. Sharpton and Jordan married in 1983. In 1971 Sharpton founded the National Youth Movement to fight drugs and raise money for impoverished youth. Jump to: navigation, search The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Brooklyn College of The City University of New York Brooklyn College of The City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York. ... Jump to: navigation, search James Brown, known variously as: Soul Brother Number One, the Godfather of Soul, Mr. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...

Later years

In June 2005, Sharpton signed a contract with Matrix Media, Incorporated, to produce and host a live two-hour daily talk program for the EBN Radio Network. The program will debut in August 2005.

Candidacies

Al Sharpton giving a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston

Sharpton has run unsuccessfully for the United States Senate seat from New York in 1988, 1992, and 1994. In 1997 he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York City. Some have criticized Sharpton for only running races he knows he can't win while shunning those he could. (Reference needed). He has never held elected office. Image File history File links Sharpton_speech. ... Image File history File links Sharpton_speech. ... Jump to: navigation, search Seal of the Senate The United States Senate is one of the two chambers of the Congress of the United States, the other being the House of Representatives. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² or 54,556 square miles (27th)  - Land... Jump to: navigation, search 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A mayor (from the Latin maÄ«or, meaning larger,greater) is the politician who serves as chief executive official of some types of municipalities. ... New York City, officially named the City of New York, is the most populous city in the United States, the most densely populated major city in North America, and is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture. ...

On January 5, 2003 Sharpton announced his candidacy for the 2004 presidential election as a member of the Democratic Party. Precisely one year later, days before the Iowa caucus, reports of connection between Sharpton's campaign management and entrenched Republican Party organizers surfaced.[5][6] Jump to: navigation, search January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Presidential election results map. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

Sharpton has been critical of the news media, charging it with ignoring his campaign due to deep-seated racial prejudice. [7]

Sharpton's platform includes 10 key issues:

• Increase voter registration.
• Increase political consciousness and awareness.
• Stimulate more people to get involved in the political process.
• Raise issues that would otherwise be overlooked—for example, affirmative action and anti-death penalty policy.
• Strengthen our national security by fighting for human rights, the rule of law, and economic justice at home and abroad.
• Fight to ensure women's rights.
• Deliver universal healthcare for the nation.
• Provide a solution to the current educational crisis in the nation.
• Help working people by giving them the biggest tax cuts - not the rich.
• Fulfill American democracy by supporting voting rights or statehood for the 600,000 disenfranchised citizens of the District of Columbia.

On March 15, 2004, Sharpton announced his endorsement of leading Democratic candidate John Kerry. However, Sharpton did not withdraw from the race, continuing instead to campaign and striving to win delegates for the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens to check in with some central registry before being allowed to vote in elections. ... Jump to: navigation, search Affirmative action (U.S. English), or positive discrimination (British English), is a policy or a program providing access to systems for people of a minority group who have traditionally been discriminated against, with the aim of creating a more egalitarian society. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... The rule of law implies that government authority may only be exercised in accordance with written laws, which were adopted through an established procedure. ... Jump to: navigation, search The term womens rights typically refers to the legal rights of women which pertains to the social and human rights of women. ... Publicly funded medicine is a level of medical service that is paid wholly or in majority part by public funds (taxes or quasi-taxes). ... A tax cut is a reduction in the rate of tax charged by a government, for example on personal or corporate income. ... ... Jump to: navigation, search March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is the junior United States Senator from Massachusetts. ... 2004 Democratic National Convention logo The 2004 Democratic National Convention culminated in the arrival of John Kerry on July 29 to address the delegates. ...

Controversy

Rev. Al Sharpton at protest rally againt NYPD

Critics of Sharpton accuse him of being a profiteering racial agitator, as evidenced by the Tawana Brawley hoax, and Hurricane Katrina accusations, inserting himself into instances of racial tension in order to increase his own popularity, often making situations more tense. ImageMetadata File history File links Sharpton46. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Sharpton46. ... Tawana Brawley (born 1972?), known after her notoriety subsided as Maryam Muhammad, was an African-American 15-year-old who created a national stir when she claimed she was raped by six white men, some of them police officers, on November 28, 1987 in the town of Wappingers Falls, New... Jump to: navigation, search Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, third major hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. ...

However, to his supporters Sharpton is a loyal defender of the under-represented poor and disenfranchised who has been supporting his community for 30 years.

Tawana Brawley

In the Tawana Brawley case, a 15-year-old black girl was found smeared with feces, lying in a garbage bag, her clothing torn and burned and with various slurs and epithets written on her body in charcoal. Brawley claimed that she had been assaulted and raped by six white men, some of them police officers, on November 28, 1987 in the town of Wappingers Falls, New York. Tawana Brawley (born 1972?), known after her notoriety subsided as Maryam Muhammad, was an African-American 15-year-old who created a national stir when she claimed she was raped by six white men, some of them police officers, on November 28, 1987 in the town of Wappingers Falls, New... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Jump to: navigation, search November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wappingers Falls is a village located in Dutchess County, New York. ...

The FBI was called in, and Brawley was questioned about what had happened. She claimed she had been raped by unidentified white men. When a rape test came back negative, she changed her story, saying that she hadn't been raped, but had been sexually abused. Further examinations revealed that Brawley had received no real injuries, nor did she show signs of exposure. Testimony from her schoolmates also indicated that she had been at a local party during the time of her supposed abduction. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Jump to: navigation, search Sexual abuse is a relative cultural term used to describe sexual relations and behavior between two or more parties which are considered criminally and/or morally offensive. ...

The incident made headlines nationwide, and her cause was taken up by Sharpton, along with Alton H. Maddox and C. Vernon Mason. The three turned the incident into a media sensation, and began making outrageous statements. For instance, they identified New York prosecutor Steven Pagones as one of the men involved, despite the lack of any evidence to this, and they likewise attempted to implicate higher officials in the State government. C. Vernon Mason is a lawyer who was disbarred following connection with the Tawana Brawley case. ... In countries adopting the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system, the prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution. ...

Accusations flew in both directions; an ex-boyfriend of Brawley's told Newsday that Brawley had made the attack up, and admitted so to him. A grand jury was convened, and after seven months of examining police and medical records, the jury determined that Brawley's assault was a hoax. Newsday is a daily tabloid newspaper which primarily serves Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens, although it is sold throughout the greater New York City metropolitan area. ... A grand jury is a type of common law jury; responsible for investigating alleged crimes, examining evidence, and issuing indictments if they believe that there is enough evidence for a trial to proceed. ...

The reason Brawley faked the attack is not known, but the most likely explanation is that Brawley, who skipped school to visit her incarcerated boyfriend the day of her disappearance, staged the abduction to avoid punishment from her stepfather.

In 1998 Pagones was awarded $150 million in a suit for a defamation of character that he brought against Sharpton, Maddox, and Mason. Jump to: navigation, search 1998(MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Alleged bigotry

It is alleged that Sharpton throughout his political career has called whites "crackers" and Jews "diamond merchants," "white interlopers," and "bloodsucking Jews." Sharpton's criticism of black Marxists extended to them carrying "that German cracker's book under their arms." Jump to: navigation, search White cracker or simply cracker was originally a pejorative term for a white person, mainly used by blacks in the Southern United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search Quick Definition: Marxism is the economic and political theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that hold that human actions and institutions are economically determined and that class struggle is needed to create historical change and that capitalism will untimately be superseded by communism-- www. ...

It is also alleged that after calling a Jewish shopkeeper a "white interloper," he looked on while an associate of his suggested the Jew's shop should be burned down. When a black member of the crowd did so, killing several including himself, Sharpton initially denied having been present. When confronted with a video tape showing his presence, he said: "What's wrong with denouncing white interlopers?" Other such controversies center on purported offenses by Jews against black Americans, although in one case it is alleged he verbally attacked Korean shopkeepers. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

Celebrity status

Because of his demeanor and personality, Sharpton has become something of a minor celebrity and has been featured in many movies and television shows. He had cameo appearances in the movies Cold Feet, Bamboozled and Mr. Deeds and in episodes of the television shows New York Undercover, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Girlfriends, My Wife and Kids, and Boston Legal. He also hosted the original Spike TV reality television show, I Hate My Job. He also played a small role in the Spike Lee movie, Malcolm X. During the 2005 Tony Awards, Sharpton appeared in a number put on by the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He was recently a guest on Weekends at the DL on Comedy Central. He was also recently featured dancing to salsa music in television ads for the Fernando Ferrer campaign for the New York City mayoral election, 2005. [17] He has also hosted the late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live. Jump to: navigation, search Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Jump to: navigation, search Martin Scorsese appears briefly in an uncredited role in this scene from Taxi Driver, the first scene in which Cybill Shepherd appears. ... Cold Feet is a UK TV comedy made by Granada Television and broadcast in five series between 1997 and 2003. ... DVD Cover Bamboozled is a 2000 satirical film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup. ... Jump to: navigation, search cover to Mr. ... New York Undercover was a one-hour urban police drama, which ran on the FOX network from 1994 to 1998. ... Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 5 DVD Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU) is the first of three spin-offs of Law & Order (the other two being Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial by Jury; all series are presented on the NBC... Girlfriends is a UPN television network sitcom centering around the lives of four African American women living in Los Angeles, California. ... The cast of My Wife and Kids My Wife and Kids is an ABC sitcom that premiered from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005 and stars Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin. ... Jump to: navigation, search Boston Legal is an ABC television series that is a spin-off to the long-running legal drama The Practice. ... Jump to: navigation, search Spike TV is a cable network that began as The Nashville Network (TNN), founded by Gaylord Entertainment Company and Group W Satellite Communications in March 1983. ... Jump to: navigation, search Reality television is a genre of television programming which generally is unscripted, documenting actual events over fiction, and featuring ordinary people over professional actors. ... Jump to: navigation, search Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965 – also known as: Detroit Red, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, and Omowale) was an American spokesman for the Nation of Islam. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award® but is formally the Antoinette Perry Award is an annual American award celebrating achievements in theater, including musical theater. ... is a piece of shit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a musical comedy with music by William Finn. ... Jump to: navigation, search Comedy Centrals old logo Comedy Central is a cable television channel in the United States. ... Jump to: navigation, search Mayoral Candidate Fernando Ferrer Fernando James Freddy Ferrer (born April 30, 1950 in the Bronx, New York) was the Borough President of The Bronx from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for mayor in 2001. ... Jump to: navigation, search The New York City mayoral election of 2005 will occur on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg running against former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. ... Jump to: navigation, search Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show from NBC which has been broadcast virtually every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ...

Works

• Sharpton, Al, Go and Tell Pharaoh (hardcover), Doubleday, 1996. ISBN 0385475837
• Sharpton, Al, Al on America (hardcover), Dafina Books, 2002. ISBN 0758203500
• Sharpton, Al, Al on America (paperback), Dafina Books, 2003. ISBN 0758203519

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Al Sharpton

• Salon Interview with Al Sharpton
• 80s Icon Al Sharpton
• Text of Democratic National Convention 2004 Speech
• The grand jury report on the Brawley case
• A CNN story on the Pagones suit
• A pro-Brawley article on her first public appearance in years
• Meet Al Sharpton
• Sharpton Campaign Assisted by Republican Organizers - (Village Voice)
• NATIONAL REVIEW: FEATURE ARTICLE JAY NORDLINGER ON THE RISE TO POWER OF AL SHARPTON March 20, 2000
• The Harvard Salient: April 15, 1999: Up Front
• Salon | New Year's wish for the Reverend Al
• Byron York on Howard Dean & Race on National Review Online
• Reverend Sharpton's Anti-Semetic & Racist Broadcasts
• City Journal Summer 2002 | Why Blacks Don’t Need Leaders by John H. McWhorter
• PAGE ONE -- 8 Killed In Harlem -- Arson / Gunman among dead
• Al Sharpton's Salsa Dance for Fernando Ferrer's Campaign