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Civil rights groups led by the Rev. Al Sharpton plan to announce an ambitious advocacy agenda Wednesday aimed at flexing their political muscle in advance of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Their top priority, Sharpton said in an interview, will be pressing the Republican- controlled Senate to confirm attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, whose nomination process progressed and then stalled after President Obama put her name forward more than 140 days ago.

In addition, the groups plan a flurry of demonstrations and news conferences focused on two other goals opposing state- level religious objections bills, seen as discriminatory against gays and lesbians, and pressing Congress to advance reforms of the criminal justice system.

We are already in the season of people announcing their run for president. We cant wait until 2016 to set the agenda. We need to set that now, Sharpton said Monday while visiting Washington, where he was attending meetings at the White House and with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julin Castro.

What we care about as civil rights leaders is the advancement of justice policies, Sharpton said, and those are the policies that are going to be set in place, or undone, by the next president.

The agenda will be formalized this week at the annual convention of the National Action Network, Sharptons civil rights group. The meeting is the first public convening of the nations top civil rights leaders since a spate of police violence sparked unrest in cities across the nation, starting with the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., last August.

Sharpton said that he plans personally to petition Senate Republicans to hold a floor vote on Lynchs nomination. He also plans trips to three states where religious objections laws have either been passed or are being considered.

Were going to convene faith leaders and gay rights leaders, Sharpton vowed. Weve got to stand together and not allow the Christian right to divide us in our mutual fight against discrimination. We cannot allow people to sanctify discrimination in the name of religion.

Once a skeptic of the gay rights movement, Sharpton has in recent years emerged as one of its most vocal black supporters. These days, he argues that gay rights should be considered a civil rights matter. He said bringing gay and lesbian groups into the civil rights fold is crucial to bolstering the political power of those working on civil justice issues.

Such issues gay rights and reforms in policing, criminal justice and prisons have dominated the national discussion in recent months, opening the door for civil rights groups to claim a higher profile during the presidential campaign, some civil rights leaders say.

Excerpt from:
Sharpton to lead advocacy campaign in advance of 2016 election