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Because of offensive tweets posted by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, before she won office, House Democrats joined by 11 Republicans voted to strip her of her committee assignments.

If this is the new standard, can we apply this to the Rev. Al Sharpton, aka a Democratic "kingmaker," whose support was solicited by every major 2020 Democratic presidential candidate?

About Sharpton's power and stature, The Atlantic, in 2019, said: "The 2020 Democrats' courting of Sharpton is well under way. He says he expects his endorsement to make a difference when he makes it. ... Sharpton occupies a distinct space. Other than Barack Obama, there is no better-known Black leader in the country, nor one with bigger reach: The National Action Network has 100 chapters across America, and Sharpton himself hosts a radio show on 70 stations every weekday and a TV show on MSNBC on Saturdays and Sundays."

Once upon a time, normal people found Sharpton offensive. Take former Rep. Joe Scarborough, now a cozy colleague of Sharpton on MSNBC, where both host cable shows. How offensive did Scarborough once find Sharpton? When then-Republican Scarborough served as a U.S. House representative from Florida in 2000, he introduced the following resolution, entitled "Condemning the Racist and Anti-Semitic Views of The Reverend Al Sharpton":

"Whereas the Reverend Al Sharpton has referred to members of the Jewish faith as 'bloodsucking (J)ews' and ... referred to members of the Jewish faith as 'white interlopers' and 'diamond merchants'; ... was found guilty of defamation by a jury in a New York court arising from the false accusation that former Assistant District Attorney Steven Pagones, who is white, raped and assaulted a fifteen year-old Black girl; ... has refused to accept responsibility and expresses no regret for defaming Mr. Pagones; ... Sharpton's vicious verbal anti-Semitic attacks directed at members of the Jewish faith, and in particular, a Jewish landlord, arising from a simple landlord-tenant dispute with a Black tenant, incited widespread violence, riots and the murder of five innocent people; ... Sharpton's fierce demagoguery incited violence, riots and murder in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York, following the accidental death of a Black pedestrian child hit by the motorcade of Orthodox Rabbi Menachem Schneerson; ... Sharpton led a protest in the Crown Heights neighborhood and marched next to a protester with a sign that read 'The White Man is the Devil'; ... has insulted members of the Jewish faith by challenging Jews to violence and stating to Jews to 'pin down' their yarmulkes. ...

"Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the Congress --

"(1) condemns the practices of the Reverend Al Sharpton, which seek to divide Americans on the basis of race, ethnicity, and religion;

"(2) expresses its outrage over the violence that has resulted due to the Reverend Al Sharpton's incendiary words and actions; and

"(3) fervently urges elected officials and public servants, who have condoned and legitimized the Reverend Al Sharpton's incendiary words and actions, to publicly denounce and condemn such racist and anti-Semitic views."

At the 1995 Million Man March, Sharpton said, "O.J. is home, but Mumia Abu-Jamal ain't home, and we won't stop till all our people that need a chance in an awkward and unbalanced criminal justice system can come home." Of course, O.J. Simpson, whose acquittal was celebrated by Sharpton, murdered two people. As for Abu-Jamal, a Black man, he was convicted in 1982 for the execution-style murder of a white Philadelphia cop. The prosecutor called the case "the strongest I ever had." CNN host Michael Smerconish co-wrote, along with the slain officer's widow, a book called "Murdered by Mumia." Smerconish criticizes "ignorant" supporters of Jamal who, like Sharpton, call Abu-Jamal innocent. Smerconish also said that the cop killer's multiple post-conviction appeals "made a mockery of the judicial system."

Ladies and gentlemen, make way for Al Sharpton, Democratic kingmaker.

2021, Creators

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If Greene is the standard, what about Democratic 'kingmaker' Sharpton? - Chicago Daily Herald

This week on PBS stations throughout the nation, including our own ATL PBA, an extraordinary and compelling documentary from Dr. Henry Louis Gates debuts. The four-part series is called The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song.

The series tells a 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, tracing and connecting its African roots to modern day experiences of African-Americans. In addition to worship, the series shows the many roles of the church, which the Rev. Al Sharpton describes as the epicenter of Black life. The culture of a Black church includes music, praise dances, gospel songs, hymns, and fashion.

A bonus feature to The Black Church has been created by Public Broadcasting Atlanta multiplatform producers Brianna Carr and Jaime Green. The feature, Tell Me The Story is specific to Atlanta and it explores the Black church experience in our city. They both joined City Lights host Lois Reitzes to talk about this project.

It means so much to us to know that we get to share this beautiful world of worship, of faith, with our colleagues and viewers. To just invite them into this world and get a glimpse of what its like in the Black church, its very exciting, said Carr. Green added, We were inspired by Henry Louis Gates piece, but we got to dig much deeper into that conversation locally. Specifically seeing different leadership roles and seeing different people that would not always be put into the limelight of leading these amazing congregations in this lovely city. And then also a little of the history. We have so many historical churches here and we only scratch the surface. There are hundreds and hundreds of churches here and we couldnt tell every story, but we wanted to make sure we really touched on the voice of Atlanta.

The #AtlantaSundaysBest gallery will be featured on WABE.org/TellMeTheStory. You can see the Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song Feb. 17 on PBA at 9PM and 11PM.

See more here:
PBA's 'Tell Me The Story' Explores the Black Church Experience In Atlanta | 90.1 FM WABE - WABE 90.1 FM

Pine Bluff, Ark. Civil rights activist, author and media personality Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton will be the featured speaker for the Office of Student Involvement and Leaderships Black History Month virtual event on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 4:00 p.m.

The veteran civil rights leader will discuss the focus of this years event, Unity for our Nation. It is free and open to the public to attend.

The political unrest our country has experienced will be studied and examined for generations to come at institutions like ours, said Kara Brown, dean of student activities. This event not only celebrates the legacy of Rev. Sharpton as an outspoken leader in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and a first-hand witness to history but also provides our campus community with insights for how we can collectively work together to strengthen our nation.

Sharpton is one of Americas foremost voices in the battles against economic and social injustices and political inequity. He is the founder and President of the National Action Network, a not-for-profit civil rights organization formed in 1991 with more than 100 chapters nationwide. Sharpton also hosts the daily radio show Keepin it Real w/ Rev. Al Sharpton and a national cable news television show entitled Politics Nation. His most recent book, Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads, was published in September 2020 and is already a national bestseller.

The event will begin with an opening ceremony featuring Leon Jones III, president of the Political Science Club. Jones is a Political Science major and last summer co-hosted a virtual event following the death of George Floyd. Jones said he recognized the impact these types of events can have on a community.

I saw people from all different backgrounds coming together trying to find clarity and understanding, Jones said. It was pretty special, and Im excited to be in a space, yes virtually however, a shared space with a seasoned and wise activist.

The free event will be hosted via Zoom webinar. Details for accessing the webinar can be found at uapb.edu.

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Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton will speak at UAPBs Black History Month Event - KARK

Rev. Al Sharpton

By Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, TN (TSU News Service) It is rare to be able to interact with a living historical figure. But thats what students and faculty at Tennessee State University experienced on Feb. 3 when the Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the nations most renowned civil rights leaders and activists, began as a Distinguished Guest Lecturer for the semester.

Sharpton will be a featured lecturer in the area of political science grounded in social justice. His lectures will be via Zoom each Wednesday through April.

Not only does the Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights icon, know American history and the role African Americans have played to shape that history, he has been an intricate piece of it as well, said TSU President Glenda Glover. This will be an amazing opportunity for our students to learn from an individual who comes from the pages of the history books they are reading, and to gain knowledge directly from the source.

Sharpton, a community leader, politician, and minister, serves as the host of PoliticsNation on MSNBC. With more than 40 years of experience as an advocate, he has held such notable positions as the youth director of New Yorks Operation Breadbasket, director of ministers for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and founder of his own broad-based progressive civil rights organization, the National Action Network.

His activism allowed him to walk among other civil rights icons, like Jesse Jackson and A. Phillip Randolph. He also brought attention to high profile cases in New York, such as the Howard Beach incident in December 1986 in which three African-American men were assaulted in the Howard Beach neighborhood of Queens by a mob of white men. Later that month, Sharpton led 1,200 demonstrators on a march through the streets of Howard Beach. His role in the case helped propel him to national prominence.

Sophomore Alexus Dockery is a political science major from Memphis, Tennessee. She said its only fitting that Sharpton should be at TSU because of the universitys rich history in the fight against racial injustice, such as students participation in the Freedom Rides and sit-ins during the civil rights movement. In 2008, the university honored 14 TSU alums who were beaten and arrested during the Freedom Rides with honorary degrees.

TSU students embody the meaning of call to action, which is demonstrated through our motto, Think. Work. Serve, said Dockery. Rev. Sharpton understands the importance of this, and the importance of HBCUs contributing to society for the advancement of Black people.

Gelanni Jones is a junior majoring in biology at TSU. However, he said Sharpton, because of his historical significance, should appeal to all students, regardless of their major.

The statement that he makes by just being himself, is exciting to have at TSU, said Jones, a Cincinnati, Ohio, resident. Hes a civil rights icon at an HBCU that I attend.

Sharpton is no stranger to TSU. He gave the keynote address last year at the universitys spring graduate commencement ceremony, where he was given an honorary degree in recognition of his body of work and societal impact.

Read more:
TSU Students Excited About Historical Knowledge Rev. Al Sharpton Will Bring as Guest Lecturer - tntribune.com

Sharpton is a reverend and civil rights leader and the founder and president of the National Action Network.

2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most consequential years of our time. Our country confronted a devastating pandemic, experienced a national reckoning with racism and endured one of the most bitter presidential elections in American history.

Now, with Inauguration Day behind us and a new administration in place, Americans are yearning for a year of healing and real progress around race and inequity. For many of us, the political shift in 2021 represents an opportunity to reassess whats important to us as individuals and as a broader more unified community.

San Diego has a place in my heart and I have been supportive of the grassroots work being done by local leaders. I am confident that the new mayor and San Diego City Council are poised to begin this reassessment. New leadership gives the city an opportunity to reconsider how it conducts the peoples business, learning from past mistakes to better the lives of its citizens.

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However, San Diegos leaders appear to be careening toward a massive debacle with their controversial selection of a new 911 emergency ambulance provider, Falck. The Denmark-based company has been accused of inequitable service and unjust practices in the United States, and there is great concern that the move could undermine San Diegos commitment to racial equality.

This becomes clear by examining Falcks history. The company only recently began providing contracted 911 paramedic advanced life support services in California, and there have been plenty of problems. Since beginning service in Alameda County less than two years ago, the company has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for not meeting ambulance response time requirements. And sadly, its slowest response times have been in communities of color.

Given communities of color continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and are therefore more likely to be in need of emergency care related to COVID-19 this practice is alarming.

Of equal concern, Falck was also the emergency medical services (EMS) provider that supplied ketamine in Aurora, Colorado, which was used to sedate Elijah McClain when he was unjustly arrested and died in 2019. To say this is extremely worrisome is an understatement. McClains case is one of the countless, horrifying examples of brutality inflicted against the Black community in this country.

The citys selection of Falck only becomes more troubling when looking into exactly how Falck was chosen over the citys current provider, American Medical Response.

As expressed by many others, including the San Diego County Medical Society, the five-member selection committee lacked the comprehensive health care expertise we should expect from a panel tasked with evaluating a prospective providers experience and readiness to serve San Diego.

For example, there was no representation from homeless service providers, or from any of the local base hospitals that receive patients and work closely with emergency ambulance providers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Instead, the committee was composed mostly of fire personnel all White males, incidentally who lack the diverse experience needed to thoroughly evaluate the bids on behalf of San Diegans.

Read another view on ambulances in San Diego:

Addressing racial justice and equity must be a priority in health care and public safety decisions, that should be non-negotiable. I find it unacceptable that a woman or a person of color was not included in this important decision this is systemic racism.

Given this flawed selection process and Falcks record, it is unclear how or why the public should have any confidence in the citys choice. And in the midst of a pandemic, nothing is more critical than having reliable 911 emergency medical services, especially for communities of color, which have been hit harder than most.

Right now, all indications are that the city of San Diego is rushing into a bad, unequitable decision. However, it is not too late to change course, and prioritize racial justice and equality as we begin this new chapter.

By putting the citys EMS contract back out to bid, Mayor Todd Gloria and the City Council can ensure that a proper and fair selection process is conducted by a committee that truly reflects the diversity of San Diego.

The people of this great city deserve nothing less.

Originally posted here:
Rev. Al Sharpton: Why the city of San Diego should not switch to Falck for its ambulance services - The San Diego Union-Tribune