Sharpton, Alfred "Al" - Timeline Biography
Time Period
10-03-1954
Description
Al Sharpton has been preaching since he was four. By age 10, he was an ordained Pentecostal minister by Bishop F.D. Washington, although he later became a Baptist after Washington’s death in the late 1980s.
Sharpton has been heavily concerned with issues impacting the black community. He has been involved in high-profile court cases, like the death of black teenager Michael Griffith in 1986, the alleged rape of Tawana Brawley in 1987, and most recently the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012. In 1991, Sharpton formed the National Action Network, an organization that supports affirmative action policies and reparations to blacks for slavery. He regularly appears on national cable channels like MSNBC and Fox News to discuss current events. Also, he has unsuccessfully run for office numerous times (2004, Democratic presidential nomination). Controversial and outspoken, Sharpton nonetheless takes the national spotlight when issues of race and racism are debated.
Sharpton has been heavily concerned with issues impacting the black community. He has been involved in high-profile court cases, like the death of black teenager Michael Griffith in 1986, the alleged rape of Tawana Brawley in 1987, and most recently the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012. In 1991, Sharpton formed the National Action Network, an organization that supports affirmative action policies and reparations to blacks for slavery. He regularly appears on national cable channels like MSNBC and Fox News to discuss current events. Also, he has unsuccessfully run for office numerous times (2004, Democratic presidential nomination). Controversial and outspoken, Sharpton nonetheless takes the national spotlight when issues of race and racism are debated.
Interactive Timeline(s)
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Religious Groups
Baptist Family: Other ARDA LinksBaptist Family: Religious Family Tree
Photographs
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Al Sharpton portrait- Flickr- photo by AFGE (CC BY 2.0)
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Al Sharpton and Esaw Garner at Staten Island protest- Wikimedia Commons- photo by Thomas Altfather Good (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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Al Sharpton speaking at Jobs and Justice march- Wikimedia Commons- photo by TonyTheTiger (CC BY-SA 3.0)
President Barack Obama signs the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans Executive Order- US Government photo
Book/Journal Source(s)
Murphy, Larry, J. Gordon Melton, and Gary Ward, 1993. Encyclopedia of African American Religions New York: Garland.Web Source(s)
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Al-SharptonAl Sharpton's Encyclopedia Britannica Biography
Web Page Contributor
Benjamin T. GurrentzAffliated with: Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. in Sociology
