Happy Birthday Rev. Al Sharpton

“The dream was not to put one black family in the White House, the dream was to make everything equal in everybody's house” - Rev. Al Sharpton

(Rev. Al Sharpton)

Rev. Al Sharpton was born as Alfred Sharpton Jr. on October 3rd, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. At 4 years old he preached his 1st sermon.

(Sharpton in 1961)

In 1963 they moved to Hollis, Queens. In 1969 Sharpton was appointed by Jesse Jackson to serve as youth director of the New York City branch of Operation Breadbasket. In 1971 Sharpton founded the National Youth Movement to raise resources for impoverished youth. In 1972 he accepted the position of youth director for the presidential campaign of African-American Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. In 1973 he attended Brooklyn college. Also in 1973 he became James Brown’s tour manager.

(Sharpton (Right) and James Brown (Left))

In 1984 Sharpton led several marches against a man who shot 4 Black men and was not punished for it. In 1986 Sharpton led 1,200 protesters to demonstrate against a group of White men who assaulted 3 Black men. In 1988 he was an informant for the FBI.

(Sharpton in 1988)

In 1989 Sharpton led marches against a group of 30 White men that beat 4 Black men and killed a 16 year old teenager named Yusef Hawkins. In 1990 after the group of White men were acquitted Sharpton led another march.

(Sharpton in 1990)

In a 1991 protest Sharpton was stabbed in the chest. Also in 1991 Sharpton founded the National Action Network. After the Crown Heights riot in 1991 Sharpton led a protest in the area.

(Sharpton in 1991)

In 1994 he was a part of a controversy due to his comments about homosexuals. In 1995 Sharpton led a protest against the closing of a Black owned record store in Harlem.

(Sharpton in 1995)

In 1999 he led a protest against the NYPD killing of Amadou Diallo. Also in 1999 he led a protest against the police killing of Tyisha Miller. In 2001 he was put in jail for trespassing.

(Sharpton in 2001)

In 2002 he was involved in protests against the police killing of Ousmane Zongo. In 2005 Sharpton appeared in three television commercials for LoanMax. In 2007 he was a part of a controversy due to his comments about Mormons.

(Sharpton in 2007)

In 2008 he led protests against the police killing of Sean Bell. In 2010 he led a march to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the historic March on Washington. In 2011 Sharpton spoke at a rally in support of Tanya McDowell, who was arrested and charged with larceny for allegedly registering her son for kindergarten in the wrong public school district using a false address.

(Sharpton in 2011)

In 2012 he led protests against the killing of Trayvon Martin. In 2014 he led protests against the NYPD killing of Eric Garner. Also in 2014 Sharpton owed $4.5 million in state and federal taxes.

(Sharpton in 2014)

Today he turns 62 years old and we would all like to say happy birthday Rev. Al Sharpton.

Videos of Rev. Al Sharpton

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUkDjVs3f_0  “Al Sharpton " days of outrage " NYC 1988”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r20m7K45zRI  “Al Sharpton in 1992: I'll Use Hate To Achieve Racial Justice”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMHTs0k9KqA  “Al Sharpton Speech @ THE MILLION MAN MARCH 1995”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLClYxTjwdg  “Rev. Al Sharpton Speaks Out Against Police Brutality”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtjUoB-EsiY  “Al Sharpton 2005 State of the Black Union”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XIRkbdO2Yk  “2008 Democratic National Convention: The Rev. Al Sharpton on liberalism”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfMJrbPCkUA  “Al Sharpton @ Sanford March 3/31/2012”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjf7WiGS7vE  “Al Sharpton Speech | ESSENCE Festival 2015”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHk0U44wUPk  “Al Sharpton and Megyn Kelly have heated exchange over Ferguson shooting”