VERDAD

How does Al Sharpton generate all this money from doing rallies and protests? When Al Sharpton does rallies and protests, they are like appearances that celebrities get paid for. He receives revenue by appearing and representing certain cases. Al Sharpton is seen by many as being a celebrity more than a Civil Rights leader. As Dr. Nichols stated in one of his lectures, Al Sharpton is used to gain publicity because he brings the news and media coverage in order to make the issue known on a national scale. Is that wrong, if the outcome leads to change?

 

Change has been sought for African Americans, but there has been little change in the community where it is definitely needed. The question many ask is why do leaders, especially black leaders, not advocate for issues within the black community, like the phenomenon of "black-on-black" crime. In response to many arguments made by the "racial agitators" about the injustice of the shooting of Michael Brown, O’Reilly asks the question of where the "racial agitators" are when crimes occur in neighborhoods that are black people against black people. On his show he says that, "12 million arrests are made every year" along with "400 fatal shootings, 99% of which are not killed by police" (O’Reilly). He continues by saying that "91% are killed by other blacks" (O’Reilly). O’Reilly argues that more African Americans are killed by other African Americans each year versus being killed by police officers. O’Reilly, like many others, question why civil rights activists, like Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend Al Sharpton, don’t advocate for black lives that are being killed by other black people.

 

The Fox News Contributor Juan Williams, who is also the author of the book Enough, also argues that black crimes are undermined in the black community. Williams says that the threat he is more than likely threatened or worried about violence in his neighborhood that is caused by other black people not police officers. He continues saying that, "[Black people] need to be honest about crime made in the black community by the black community" (Williams). Williams overall explains that the facts can not be denied and that "thuggish" behavior can not be validated, even when the individual is a victim, because it sends out the wrong message and creates racial exasperation in the community. The overall reason for these arguments is that leaders, like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, do not advocate for black-on-black crimes because these cases do not benefit them in any way. There is little media coverage on black-on-black crimes. Leaders, like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, build their image and base their work on publicity with the use of the media. Therefore, advocating for black-on-black crime would not help to accomplish their personal agendas.

 

For these reasons the need for new leadership is sought out for this new generation of civil rights leaders. Brittney Cooper, a writer for the Salon, argues that Al Sharpton “does not have the ear of this generation” (para. 5).  She also makes the argument that Al Sharpton’s leadership is not something “that any of us who will live on the planet for the next half-century or so really needs” (Cooper para. 5). This argument does not refer to Sharpton’s age but rather it refers to Sharpton’s moral and political position for black people within the body of American politics (Cooper para. 6). Sharpton is unable to connect to this generation of black people. In Cooper’s words, Al Sharpton “is played out” (para. 4). Many, however, refute this argument saying that the issues of today are not different from the issues of the past and that the tactics used in the past, like the use of the media, will indeed help with issues today (Johnson para. 11). This is true. Many of the problems of the past have carried into the future. Also, the use of the media does help to raise awareness of issues within the black community, which allows steps to be taken to advocate for racial equality and justice. However, as Cooper mentioned, proper direct action cannot occur if the agenda does not connect between the leader (Al Sharpton) and the followers (African-Americans) (para. 6). How beneficial is a leader whose agenda does not match the issues of its people? To answer the question, it serves no benefit.