Rev. Al Sharpton

Biography

As one of the preeminent civil rights leaders of our time, Reverend Al Sharpton serves as the founder and president of the National Action Network (NAN), anchors Politics Nation on MSNBC, hosts the nationally syndicated radio shows Keepin’ It Real and The Hour of Power, holds weekly action rallies and speaks out on behalf of those who have been silenced and marginalized. Rooted in the spirit and tradition of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., NAN boasts more than 100 chapters across the country to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunity for all.

In 2007, President Barack Obama addressed NAN’s annual convention and called Sharpton “the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden”. He returned in both 2011 and 2014 to praise NAN for its ongoing work in the areas of critical concern such as voting rights and criminal justice reform. He emphasized in a keynote speech that “National Action Network is not the National Satisfaction Network; it’s the National Action Network.” Indeed, it is. 

Sharpton had the unique opportunity to absorb a wealth of knowledge from Dr. King’s lieutenants: Rev. Jones, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams and later Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker. He would go on to incorporate Dr. King’s teachings of nonviolent activism into his work and fight for justice. At the age of 16, he founded the National Youth Movement, Inc. and in 1991 officially launched National Action Network. Under Sharpton’s leadership and vision, NAN has emerged as one of the leading civil rights organizations in the country with headquarters in New York City and regional offices in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit. 

A native New Yorker, Sharpton made it his mission to highlight the racism and bigotry embedded in the north – often times hidden underneath a veneer of progress. In the summer of 1986, with the crack epidemic sweeping across New York City and indeed the nation, he started painting crack houses with red X’s to bring about awareness. Later that year when 23-year-old Michael Griffith was chased by a white mob and killed when a passing car struck him in Howard Beach, Queens, Sharpton organized several protests calling for justice. Even as some yelled racial epithets as they marched, they held their heads high and pressed onward.

Through the years, the civil rights champion has remained consistent pushing for police reform and accountability. In 2014, Eric Garner died after officers in Staten Island placed him in a banned chokehold. Sharpton stood with Garner’s mother, organized rallies and called for justice – even testifying years later in front of the House Judiciary Committee demanding federal regulation and changes to policing. Whether it was organizing a silent march against stop-and-frisk policies in New York City, or delivering eulogies for victims of police brutality, Sharpton’s commitment to fighting on behalf of others has never wavered. 

Throughout the years, Sharpton utilized his gifts to raise awareness for injustice wherever it occurred. In fact, he has been arrested over 30 times for acts of civil disobedience, including spending 90 days in jail for protesting the bombing of the island of Vieques. He also spent 45 days in jail and another 10 days for other peaceful demonstrations. He has, in short, paid real dues. 

Vanity Fair published an exclusive profile piece in 2014 in which they referred to Sharpton as “arguably the country’s most influential civil rights leader.” And they were correct. Year after year, he and NAN hold a national convention at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel where thousands attend, including dignitaries, elected officials, clergy and activists from around the country, as well as from around the world. Every August, he commemorates Dr. King’s historic March on Washington, and as recently as 2020, over 200,000 people attended demanding national police reform.  

Sharpton is the author of several books, including Go and Tell Pharaoh, Al on America The Rejected Stone, Rise Up, and most recently Righteous Troublemakers. He has served as a guest lecturer at Tennessee State University, and has received honorary doctorate degrees from Medgar Evers College, Fisk University, Bethune-Cookman University, Virginia Union University, Voorhees College, among others. 

Today, Sharpton and NAN continue advocating on behalf of the powerless, and keep up the fight for voting rights, pay equity, police reform, reproductive rights, fair housing, health care, LGBTQ rights, environmental justice, quality education and so much more. They empower youth leaders around the country to carry the torch of freedom and justice forward. Sharpton speaks on the world stage, addressing racial disparity in a host of nations, reminding everyone that nobody is truly free until we are all free. 

Sharpton resides in New York City. He is the proud father of two daughters, Dominique and Ashley, and the grandfather of Marcus Al Sharpton Bright.