Al Sharpton

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Al Sharpton bigraphy, stories - American activist

Al Sharpton : biography

October 3, 1954 –

Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election. He hosts his own radio talk show, Keepin’ It Real, and he makes regular guest appearances on Fox News (such as on The O’Reilly Factor), CNN, and MSNBC. In 2011, he was named the host of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, a nightly talk show.

Sharpton’s supporters praise "his ability and willingness to defy the power structure that is seen as the cause of their suffering" and consider him "a man who is willing to tell it like it is". Former New York Mayor Ed Koch, a one-time foe, said that Sharpton deserves the respect he enjoys among Black Americans: "He is willing to go to jail for them, and he is there when they need him."

His critics describe him as "a political radical who is to blame, in part, for the deterioration of race relations". Sociologist Orlando Patterson has referred to him as a racial arsonist, while liberal columnist Derrick Z. Jackson has called him the black equivalent of Richard Nixon and Pat Robertson. Sharpton sees much of the criticism as a sign of his effectiveness. "In many ways, what they consider criticism is complimenting my job," he said. "An activist’s job is to make public civil rights issues until there can be a climate for change."

Activism

In 1969, Sharpton was appointed by Jesse Jackson as youth director of Operation Breadbasket, a group that focused on the promotion of new and better jobs for African-Americans., CNN’s "America Votes 2004", Retrieved April 7, 2007

In 1971 Sharpton founded the National Youth Movement to raise resources for impoverished youth., thehistorymakers.com, web site access April 7, 2007

Bernhard Goetz

The New York Times

Sharpton and other civil rights leaders said Goetz’s actions were racist and requested a federal civil rights investigation."", The New York Times, January 29, 1985. A federal investigation concluded the shooting was due to an attempted robbery and not race.David E. Pitt, "", The New York Times, June 18, 1987.

Howard Beach

On December 20, 1986 three African-American men were assaulted in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens by a mob of white men. The three men were chased by their attackers onto the Belt Parkway, where one of them, Michael Griffith, was struck and killed by a passing motorist.Robert D. McFadden, "", The New York Times, December 21, 1986.

A week later, on December 27, Sharpton led 1,200 demonstrators on a march through the streets of Howard Beach. Residents of the neighborhood, who were overwhelmingly white, screamed racial epithets at the protesters, who were largely black.Ronald Smothers, "", The New York Times, December 28, 1986. A special prosecutor was appointed by New York Governor Mario Cuomo after the two surviving victims refused to co-operate with the Queens district attorney. Sharpton’s role in the case helped propel him to national prominence.

Bensonhurst

Sharpton leading the first protest march over the death of Yusef Hawkins in Bensonhurst, 1989 On August 23, 1989, four African-American teenagers were beaten by a group of 10 to 30 white Italian-American youths in Bensonhurst, a Brooklyn neighborhood. One Bensonhurst resident, armed with a handgun, shot and killed sixteen-year-old Yusef Hawkins.

In the weeks following the assault and murder, Sharpton led several marches through Bensonhurst. The first protest, just days after the incident, was greeted by neighborhood residents shouting "Niggers go home" and holding watermelons to mock the demonstrators.Nick Ravo, "", The New York Times, August 27, 1989.

Sharpton also threatened that Hawkins’ three companions would not cooperate with prosecutor Elizabeth Holtzman unless her office agreed to hire more black attorneys. In the end, they cooperated.John DeSantis. For the Color of His Skin: The Murder of Yusuf Hawkins and the Trial of Bensonhurst. 1991. New York: Pharos Books. ISBN 978-0-88687-621-0. p. 190.