Fighting back against Al Sharpton

Finally, there is a movement developing to fight back against Al Sharpton, the professional bigot and racial agitator, not only within his own African-American community but also by a new media watchdog group that is reminding Sharpton’s MSNBC advertisers of the type of person with whom they are dealing. [Al Sharpton’s bigotry, especially toward the Jewish Community in Crown Heights and at Freddy’s Fashion Mart in Harlem, was covered over the summer by this column in The Jewish Star.]

Most clergymen try to build bridges across ethnic divides; Sharpton burns them. The “Reverend” Al has made a career of using bigotry to promote Al Sharpton; fanning the flames of hatred helps him market his number one product, Al Sharpton.

Now it seems that there may be a bit of erosion of Sharpton’s popularity happening in Harlem, where four upstart clergymen have invited more than 100 churches to join them in knocking Sharpton off his pedestal.

Speak Out Say It Loud, headquartered at Mount Neboh Baptist Church on Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., is a new coalition of black ministers determined to create a unified African-American power base with citywide clout:

“We are the church and our voice will be heard to the benefit of our community. Join more than 50 pastors and congregations assembling at the Mount Neboh Baptist Church to Speak Out about the deplorable conditions of our community, the injustice against our people and the corrupt dealings of self-elected officials. The church is still the church and with God we have miraculous power.”

Mount Neboh pastor Johnnie Green feels Sharpton has neglected black New York while pursuing national fame and acclaim, the Daily News reported:

“While [Sharpton] is jet-setting around the country, people are going to our churches saying they don’t have money to eat,” the Dallas native said. “People need somebody to fight for them.”

Green and his allies argue that Sharpton has spent too much time plugging his new book, “The Rejected Stone,” and tending to his MSNBC show.

“Sharpton isn’t a community organizer. He’s a personality,” scoffed Raymond Blanchette, head bishop of the United Churches for Kingdom Building.”

The “Reverend Al disagrees:

“We need to attack the issues, not each other,” Sharpton shot back. “If you want to be the big guy, be the big guy, be that. Don’t act like I’m not doing anything local. I am.”

Sharpton acts the role of a power broker as he “holds audience” for candidates who see him as their ticket to minority communities. Joe Lhota, the GOP candidate for mayor, last month made the pilgrimage to kiss Sharpton’s ring, an act that offended Reverend Green:

“Lhota is running to Al Sharpton like he is the leader of the black community. He’s not!”

It’s surprising any politician, especially a New York City one, would meet with Sharpton, since the Big Apple has been the scene of some of his most repulsive acts including Crown Heights, Freddy’s and Tawana Brawley, and the Central Park Jogger protests.

Last week, a new media watchdog organization called Truth Revolt — formed as a conservative answer to the George Soros funded Media Matters — said it would focus on high-profile members of the media, holding them accountable for their bias. One of the group’s first efforts is to target advertisers who support Al Sharpton.

“Now it’s time to let his advertisers know that we won’t stand for our purchases backing his propaganda, the group announced. “TruthRevolt is leading the fight to inform Sharpton’s financial backers just who Sharpton is — and what the consequences will be for continuing to support his race-baiting.”

Truth Revolt is sponsoring a petition on its website asking advertisers not to sponsor Sharpton’s MSNBC program, and they have enlisted Norman Rosenbaum to help. Norman’s brother Yankel was killed in the Crown Heights pogrom.

Truth Revolt quotes Norman as saying that advertisers, MSNBC, and President Obama should be ashamed to be associated with Sharpton: “Any person who does anything to legitimize Al Sharpton is doing a gross disservice to their own integrity, and in terms of Al Sharpton the individual, the greatest concern is they’re legitimizing a fraud and charlatan,” Rosenbaum said from Melbourne, Australia. He added, “He has never apologized, he has never offered any sincere remorse for the atrocious things he has done by way of terrible racist behavior and lies, for inciting racial events. Anybody who takes a look at that person and wants to spend advertising dollars on him should take a hard look at their moral stance in terms of their position in business, in commerce, and in the community.”

Truth Revolt continued:

Rosenbaum lashed out at the media and politicians who have legitimized Sharpton. “That is an absolute disgrace, regardless of who it is: business, media, or politician,” said Rosenbaum. “Now he’s the expert on race relations? He’s the expert on nothing, he’s set race relations back decades. What’s he ever done for anybody? Really, by substance, what has he ever done? For MSNBC to be employing him is a sad reflection on them.”

In its first week, the petition drive (which is scheduled to run through January 1) has garnered almost 8,000 signatures.

In his two decades as a professional bigot, the “Reverend” Al Sharpton has worked very hard to ensure recognition of his number one political goal — that would be the fame and popularity of The Reverend” Al Sharpton. It’s nice to see that after all of this time there is a movement to encourage people to wise up and spread the fame of what Al Sharpton really is, a self-serving racial agitator.