Reverend Al Sharpton

Reverend Al Sharpton is a prominent civil rights leader, Baptist minister, activist, broadcaster, and author whose career spans decades of advocacy for racial justice and social equality. Sharpton began preaching at age four and became an ordained Pentecostal minister at age 10. He accompanied singer Mahalia Jackson on gospel tours starting at age seven. Sharpton's involvement with the Civil Rights Movement began at age 13 when he was appointed youth director of New York's Operation Breadbasket, the economic arm of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. At age 16, Sharpton founded the National Youth Movement, Inc., which organized young people nationwide to promote voter registration, cultural awareness, and job training programs.

Sharpton later formed the National Action Network, a civil rights organization that promotes progressive policies, including affirmative action and reparations for African Americans. He serves as president of the National Action Network, which has more than 100 chapters across the country. Sharpton has advocated for voting rights, equity in education and healthcare, LGBTQIA+ rights, and police reform, including the elimination of policies such as stop-and-frisk. His direct action campaigns have influenced laws on racial profiling and police department reform nationwide.

Sharpton campaigned for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidency and has used his oratory skills to address issues in the American social and political landscape. He organized the One Thousand Ministers March for Justice, held on the anniversary of the March on Washington, and delivered eulogies for George Floyd and Tyre Nichols, both of whom died in incidents involving police. Sharpton also delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Sharpton maintains a significant media presence as host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show "Keepin' It Real" and as a political analyst and weekend host for MSNBC, where he hosts "PoliticsNation." He has delivered speeches on civil rights and race relations at venues such as the Oxford Union. As an author, Sharpton wrote the autobiography "Go and Tell Pharaoh" and "Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads." "Rise Up" draws on Sharpton's experience as a politician, television and radio host, and civil rights leader.

Sharpton's life and career are the subject of the documentary "Loudmouth," produced by Get Lifted Film Co., which chronicles his work in the movement for social justice. The documentary screened at numerous venues before its wide release, highlighting Sharpton's role as a significant figure in American civil rights history and as a voice in the ongoing fight against racial injustice.