National civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton visited North Texas to help kickoff early voting for the Democratic Primary Runoff with Super Monday Get Out The Vote activities. He made his first appearance as keynote speaker at a Super Monday Get Out The Vote breakfast being held in West Dallas at the Mattie Nash-Myrtle Davis Recreation Center. Immediately following the breakfast, Reverend Sharpton hosted the first Super Monday Meet Me At The Polls rally leading voters into the Dallas West Library to vote.
Reverend Al Sharpton is the founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), a not-for-profit civil rights organization headquartered in Harlem, New York, with over fifty Chapters nationwide. As one of the nation’s most-renowned civil rights leaders, Reverend Sharpton has been praised by President Barack Obama as “the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden.” Recently he was honored as the 2012 BET Humanitarian of the Year Award recipient because of his national leadership and passion in confronting human rights violations. (http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2012/acceptance/al-sharpton-receives-state-farm-humanitarian-award.html)
Reverend Sharpton’s appearance in Dallas was part of NAN’s national voter engagement tour which is leading the fight against voter suppression and regressive voter ID laws in our country. The Texas Voter ID Law is currently being challenged with the United States Department of Justice. The Texas Voter ID Law is considered the most restrictive law of all 17 states that have recently enacted voter laws across the country. Reverend Sharpton hosted State Senator Royce West (D-23) and Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole on his radio talk show to discuss voter suppression in Texas and how it will effect voter turnout by minorities in communities across the state.
Super Monday was created as a movement to engage and activate voters to vote in the Democratic Primary Runoff Election. Voter participation in the May 29 Primary Election was considered low and the movement will excite voters to get out and vote. Reverend Sharpton’s appearance will play a major role in exciting voters in Dallas County. MSNBC host and political commentator Chris Matthews said of Rev. Sharpton: “I’m just saying you are a powerful voice in this country. When you speak out, let’s face it, the buildings shake. People do listen to you. You had a lot to do with the noise level here.”
Reverend Sharpton is heard daily as host of his nationally syndicated radio show Keepin It Real on urban stations across the country and also his weekend radio show The Hour of Power. He is now viewed by millions on his MSNBC show, Politics Nation, that analyzes the top political and social news of the day featuring the country’s leading newsmakers.
Under Reverend Sharpton’s leadership, NAN has become the most active social justice organization in the country. NAN works to ensure that every vote in every community across the nation is counted.
For more information or for interviews with Reverend Sharpton, contact Winsor Barbee at 212.335.0330 or by email at wbarbee@themarketingcollaborative.com. For more information on Reverend Sharpton or NAN, please visit www.nationalactionnetwork.net.
