Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights and social justice activist, Baptist minister, radio talk show host, and TV personality, who is also the founder of the National Action Network civil rights organization. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election. He hosts a weekday radio talk show, Keepin' It Real, which is nationally syndicated by Urban One, and he is a political analyst and weekend host for MSNBC, hosting PoliticsNation.
The Reverend Al Sharpton | |
|---|---|
Sharpton in 2023 | |
| Born | Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. October 3, 1954 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Baptist minister Civil rights/social justice activist Radio and television talk show host |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Marsha Tinsley (less than a year) Kathy Jordan
(m. 1980; sep. 2004) |
Sharpton is known for making various controversial and incendiary comments over his career. He has been accused of making homophobic, antisemitic and racially insensitive remarks as well as inciting incidents of violence. In 1987 he was highly active in publicizing the Tawana Brawley accusation in the media; the allegation was later proved to be false.