Al Sharpton

“We cannot reform institutional racism or systemic policies if we are not actively engaged. It's not enough to simply complain about injustice; the only way to prevent future injustice is to...”

“James Brown became my father. He would talk to me the way a father talked to a son. He became the father I never had.”

“If it weren't for the mentorship and guidance from people like my mother, James Brown and others, I wouldn't have been able to make something of my life.”

“It seems some have chosen to ignore or have simply forgotten the big-picture vision promoted by Dr. King and his kin.”

“There's no reason why children in inner cities or rural areas do not receive the same quality education or opportunities as those in suburbs or wealthy neighborhoods. If we truly believe in...”

“My message to everyone: the next time you hear about migrant children near the border, just picture them as your own. Then think what you would want our government to do.”

“My ordination in the Church of God in Christ was at age 9, and I later became a Baptist minister, which I am today.”

“When you loot or behave violently, you give grounds to those that try to justify illegal police abuse. You become the poster child for them to say, 'See, we have no choice but to shoot and k...”

“From racial profiling and being pulled over just for 'driving while black' to this new phenomenon of killing unarmed people out of some preconceived idea of fear, our lives and our children'...”

“Local prosecutors work alongside local police officers on a regular basis and are therefore conflicted when it comes to prosecuting those same officers. They are under extreme pressure from...”

“I could take all the cartoons in the tabloid newspapers, but I couldn't take my daughter punching me in the belly and asking why I was so fat. That was my inspiration to lose the weight. And...”

“As a preacher who has spent significant time in churches and houses of worship all across the country, I can tell you firsthand that religious liberty and freedom are principles that can nev...”

“We're not willing to give black leaders second chances because, in most cases, we're not willing to give them first chances.”

“My ministry's always been one of social activism. I think a responsible minister must be at some levels involved in the social order.”

“If O.J. had been accused of killing his black wife, you would not have seen the same passion stirred up.”

“I won vice president of my student body in high school. That doesn't mean anything.”

“If you can get the proper definition of trouble, then we can find out who the real troublemakers are.”

“The United States government has the obligation to educate all young people in this country.”