Sharpton preached his first sermon when he was 4, and he was an ordained minister by 10. In a 2016 profile, "Vanity Fair" described him as "arguably the country’s most influential civil-rights leader."
He founded the National Action Network, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group, in 1991. Its self-described mission is "to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality or gender."
Sharpton has been involved in a variety of protests, rallies and marches over the years, with some proceeding more peacefully than others. He was also a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2004 election.
Sharpton currently has a weekday radio show, "Keepin' It Real with Reverend Al Sharpton," that's broadcast on SiriusXM and stations across the country, and a Sunday TV show on MSNBC, "PoliticsNation."
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