Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1954, the Reverend Alfred “Al” Sharpton has been preaching since age four. He was licensed and ordained at age nine. In 1971, he founded the National Youth Movement and for seventeen years led the organization, registering young people to vote and giving them job opportunities. His direct-action and civil disobedience campaigns have brought attention to injustice in many areas.Sharpton has pursued other interests while continuing to preach: in his teens, he established a close bond with James Brown and developed a father-son relationship, eventually recording the record God Smiled on Me with him. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he worked as a youth organizer with boxing promoter Don King while learning more about African American politics and entertainment.
He has his own radio talk show “Keeping It Real with Al Sharpton” and he started the organization National Action Network,is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Inc.
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