During his trip to New York Wednesday, President Obama stopped by the Sheraton Hotel for the 20th anniversary celebration of the National Action Network, the civil rights organization founded by activist and political gadfly Al Sharpton. In his remarks, the president had some light-hearted and affectionate words for Sharpton, and he also expressed apparently heartfelt admiration for the controversial civil rights leader’s work.
“I told Reverend Al backstage he’s getting skinnier than me,” the president said with Sharpton nearby. “He’s getting skinnier than Spike. [Filmmaker Spike Lee also attended the event.] But he hasn’t lost his sense of style.”
“The other thing that hasn’t changed,” Obama continued, “is the National Action Network’s commitment to fight injustice and inequality here in New York City and across America. And that’s not only a testament to Reverend Sharpton. It’s a testament to all of you who are here tonight. I want to commend you for the work that you’ve done over the last two decades to lift up not only the African American community but the broader American family. That’s what you’re about.”
Sharpton’s organization has done more than just fight injustice and inequality. The National Action Network has also been a key part of Sharpton’s unorthodox finances after Sharpton’s image-damaging roles in the Tawana Brawley hoax, the Crown Heights riot, the Freddie’s Fashion Mart killings and other infamous episodes. The non-profit Network is reportedly part of a web of organizations that allows Sharpton to live and prosper while claiming to have virtually no assets. As the New York Times reported in December 2000:
Sharpton’s finances, the Times continued, “have a somewhat troubled history.”
None of that, and certainly none of Sharpton’s involvement in events like the Brawley hoax, was the subject of discussion when President Obama took the podium to sing Sharpton’s praises Wednesday. Although Obama kept some distance from Sharpton in the 2008 presidential campaign, 2012 is approaching, and, having alienated many independent voters, Obama needs a strong turnout from his base. “The men will both benefit from the meeting,” Democratic political strategist Hank Sheinkopf told the New York Daily News. “This shows clout and power for Sharpton, and for Obama the message he’s sending is clear: ‘I’m African-American, I’m protecting my base, and Al Sharpton is going to help me do it.'”
