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Civil rights activist Rev Al Sharpton tells why black Brits have no excuse not to use their power

FOR MORE than 40 years Rev Al Sharpton has championed the black cause, campaigning on a range of issues, such as voting rights, to help protect and further the black community in America.

Now Sharpton has turned his attention to the plight facing millions in Haiti after the devastating earthquake hit the Caribbean island causing thousands of deaths and widespread damage.

Moved by the suffering the Haitian people are facing, Sharpton told The Voice that he has worked closely with musician Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation to provide relief and assistance.

“We raised funds with Wyclef Jean's foundation. We also organised doctors and equipment who are going to stay in Haiti. We also mobilised a lot of black churches in America, and I hope that happens in England as well, as the religious community must raise serious money,” he said.

His partnership with Jean’s charity may raise eyebrows as the musician has recently been accused of profiting personally from the foundation, after tax records allegedly showed that out of more than $1 million in revenue during 2006, over a third of the money was paid out in administrative expenses to various companies that Jean and insiders control.

Jean denies the allegations and Sharpton defended the star, calling the claims “baseless”.

“I’ve been to Haiti a number of times and I see the work that Wyclef and others do on the ground. I suspect that some of the other charities want to have all of the resources go through them which is why all of the sudden you have this talk about Wyclef,” he said.

Sharpton plans to visit Haiti to provide assistance but has urged the international community to think of a long-term strategy for the country.

“They need to rebuild Haiti and we need to do it with business people who have a sensitivity to the people. They’re not just your regular multinational corporations that come in and exploit workers,” he said.

Citing the slow recovery efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit the US city five years ago, Sharpton remains cautious about Haiti’s future.

“The future is tentative; it could end up great, or it could end up with a great rush in the beginning and it goes to nothing.

“I feel that with New Orleans, with Katrina, everybody cared, but there’s still large parts of New Orleans that still ain’t been built,” he said.

The shocking events in Haiti have to an extent overshadowed the one year anniversary of President Obama’s inauguration, but Sharpton has been impressed by what he has done so far.

“When you look at what he’s inherited, the economy was in tatters and two wars, he has stabilised the economy and started building back a global image. I think that people forget how deep down we were and how much he’s had to bring us back,” he said.

Despite Obama’s approval ratings falling, Sharpton believes that people are finally being more realistic about what Obama can achieve.

“I often say we found out that Obama couldn’t walk on water but he’s still the best swimmer we have,” Sharpton said.

“I think he’s done a good job for the country, and in the context of that the African-American community. Can he do more? Yes, he would say that, but he’s only been there a year. We expect him to undo in one year what George Bush did in eight?” he said.

Obama has worked closely with Sharpton in order to fully understand the needs of the black community and he is full of praise for the President.

“Very smart, very thoughtful and very sensitive. I found him a strong, committed person,” he said.

The election of Obama saw unprecedented numbers of black people voting in America and Sharpton has made his first trip to the UK for almost a decade to encourage black Britons to register to vote in time for the upcoming May election.

“It disgusts me to see so many people in the United States and South Africa that fought, and some died, for the right to vote, then you get those in the US and UK that have the right to vote and for no other reason than their own laziness and excuses, they choose not to exercise something that would give education to their kids and healthcare to their mommas.

“You are not talking about doing a favour for somebody else, you’re talking about doing a favour for your own salvation,” he said.

Pointing to some of the positive changes made under Obama, Sharpton dismissed the notion that voting does not matter.

“We are now out of Guantanamo Bay, we now have a Latino woman with a good civil rights background on the Supreme Court – all of that because we voted for Obama. If your vote doesn’t count how do you explain all that? Does it mean you get everything you want immediately? No, but it does mean a sense of process to get things. Without that vote you don’t have a process at all,” he said.

Working with pressure group Operation Black Vote, Sharpton plans to mobilise black churches to be more proactive in encouraging members of the black community to vote.

“I’m going to work with these black churches. I think black ministers do not use their influence enough to get their congregants to vote and understand the power of the vote,” he said.

The issue of voting will be a main focus for this year, as Sharpton plans to hold an international conference to bring the African diaspora together.

“We are going to have an international conference in April. We are really going to organise around the idea of mobilising democratic principles around the diaspora, wherever we are,” he said.

Published: 24 January 2010
Issue: 1407

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