REV. AL SHARPTON: STRIPPING SOUTH CAROLINA OF ITS FIRST-IN-THE-NATION PRIMARY WOULD BE A SLAP IN THE FACE TO BLACK VOTERS

Rev. Al Sharpton, President of the National Action Network, is adding his voice to a growing coalition of Black leaders warning the Democratic National Committee not to strip South Carolina of its first-in-the-nation presidential primary status. The statement comes as the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee prepares to decide the order of the 2028 primary calendar.

“You don’t forget who showed up for you when nobody else would,” Sharpton said. “Black voters have shown up for the Democratic Party again and again. South Carolina hasn’t just cast votes in the presidential primary, time after time, it decided the nomination, and ultimately the presidency. If South Carolina gets quietly bumped after one cycle of convenient praise, that sends a message louder than any speech at a Democratic dinner: the gratitude was performance, not policy.”

South Carolina didn’t luck into its spot at the front of the calendar; it earned it. The DNC moved the state up in 2024 because a party that depends on minority and working-class voters to win needed a primary process that led with a state like South Carolina, where Black voters make up over half the Democratic primary electorate, and the rest of the electorate reflects the urban, rural, working-class, and suburban mix of the country the party is trying to win. It worked. Sharpton and other Black leaders argue reversing course now, in favor of states with calendar conflicts or political convenience, would be exactly backward.

“To turn around now and push South Carolina to the back of the line would be a slap in the face to the very voters who’ve kept this party alive,” Sharpton said. “This isn’t about one state’s ego. It’s a test of whether the Democratic Party actually means it when it says Black voters are the backbone of this coalition, or whether that’s just something we say during election years and quietly walk back once the votes are counted.”

Sharpton tied the fight directly to this year’s Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and opened the door for state legislatures across the South to redraw maps that dilute Black political power.

“When courts won’t protect fair districts, and state legislatures are racing to draw Black representation out of existence, the primary calendar becomes one of the last remaining levers Black voters have to shape who leads this country,” Sharpton said. “The Democratic Party cannot simultaneously turn around and strip away the one nationally visible platform where Black voters get to go first and set the tone for the entire race. That would be doubling down on disenfranchisement at exactly the moment it needs to be resisted hardest.”

Sharpton’s statement adds to a wall of support building for South Carolina in recent weeks. DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie M. Rollins wrote directly to Rules and Bylaws Committee Co-Chairs: “African Americans continue to be the backbone of the Democratic Party and can consistently be counted on to support Democratic candidates. South Carolina has a larger African American population than any other state currently under consideration to be the first primary state,” Rollins wrote, adding that by electing Christale Spain to lead the state party twice, “South Carolina Democrats clearly recognize her leadership and that Black women get the job done of organizing and getting Black voters to the polls.” “I support South Carolina being first on our primary calendar,” Rollins said.

That support follows on the heels of a joint push from Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, and Democratic Party chairs from across the Deep South. Thompson wrote to DNC Chair Ken Martin and the Rules and Bylaws Committee that “South Carolina’s first-in-the-nation status is not a procedural privilege; it is a hard-won recognition that the Democratic Party’s coalition must be centered, not assumed.” Southern state party chairs from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and West Virginia echoed that message in their own joint statement: “When South Carolina goes first, we send a message to the nation that the Democratic Party will not retreat from its commitment to multiracial democracy, even as the courts and the Republican Party work in concert to undermine it.”

“Keep South Carolina first,” Sharpton said. “Not because it’s owed as a favor, but because it’s the right thing to do for a party that wants to win.”

Rev. Al Sharpton to deliver announcement at NAN Convention on companies NAN will boycott for abandoning DEI

Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), tomorrow will announce what company NAN will boycott during his President’s Address on the final day of the organization’s annual convention in New York City. The long-awaited decision follows Rev. Sharpton’s vow earlier this year to review and identify a company that has abandoned its commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion.


“As Donald Trump returned to office on King Day, vowing to attack the very things Dr. King fought for, NAN made a promise across Washington to use our buying power to fight back,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN. “On Saturday, we will send a message to those who abandoned us that we will abandon them. As we make this stand against those who abandoned DEI, NAN will continue to support the companies that stand by the policy.”


Rev. Sharpton announced the planned boycott at a NAN MLK Day Rally at the Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C. His address coincided with the second inauguration of Donald Trump just a few miles away, during which the president alluded to forthcoming attacks on DEI. In the hours, days, and weeks after, Trump issued a storm of executive orders to gut DEI within the federal government, while also putting immense pressure on the private sector to do the same.


Rev. Sharpton called for a 90-day review of what companies had abandoned DEI, their Black customer base, and their profit margins. As that review happened, Rev. Sharpton and NAN continued to support companies that stood by their DEI commitments — recognizing the moral and long-term financial benefits. For instance, Rev. Sharpton led NAN members to shop at Costcos in East Harlem and in New Jersey after the company announced it was standing by its DEI policies.


WHO:
Rev. Al Sharpton, President and Founder, National Action Network


WHEN:
Saturday, April 5th, 2025
Press call: 9:30
Remarks: 10 a.m.


WHERE:
Sheraton Times Square
Metropolitan East Ballroom, 2nd Floor
811 7th Avenue and 53rd Street
New York, NY 10019

REV. AL SHARPTON RESPONDS TO VERDICT IN JORDAN NEELY CASE

Rev. Al Sharpton, the Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement in response to the verdict in the criminally negligent homicide case against Daniel Penny.

“Today’s verdict in the Jordan Neely case does not change what we have known to be true in our hearts since the very beginning: Jordan Neely’s life was brutally taken away because of unnecessary vigilantism. This kind of behavior was inexcusable 40 years ago when Bernhard Goetz opened fire in a subway car, and it remained the case more than a year ago when Daniel Penny took Jordan’s life. Jordan was in the middle of a mental health crisis, but instead of being offered a helping hand, he got an arm around his neck.

This verdict represents the blatant legalization of civilian vigilantism, sending a dangerous message that citizens can now take matters into their own hands, even if it leads to someone’s death. That is a threat to all of us. We fought this 40 years ago with Goetz, we fought it when Eric Garner was killed, and we will continue to fight it today. When I eulogized Jordan in Harlem last May, I made it clear that his family wasn’t asking for favors – they wanted justice. Jordan’s loved ones were denied justice today.

Throughout this process, NAN stood firmly by Jordan’s family. We covered his funeral expenses, shared stories of his humanity, and stood with his loved ones every day of the trial. Jordan’s uncle was present at NAN’s rally on Saturday. We understand that Jordan’s life mattered.

Today’s acquittal should still serve as a reminder that we cannot fear or ignore those who are struggling but must instead recognize their equal humanity. Jordan, famous for the smiles he brought to people’s faces with his Michael Jackson impersonation, had dreams, passions, and love in his heart too. Our brothers and sisters in crisis deserve our compassion and understanding, not violence. While this verdict may not bring the closure Jordan’s family deserves, his legacy will continue to demand compassion and action from all of us.”

Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Rev. Al Sharpton will visit Capitol Hill and Meet With Lawmakers

On Monday, September 13th, 2021 Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Rev. Al Sharpton will visit Capitol Hill to urge congressional leaders to pass federal voting rights legislation and deliver an open letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell requesting a meeting to discuss the necessity of passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Restoration Act, the For The People Act, and the Washington, D.C. Admission Act.

During the visit, the Kings and Rev. Sharpton will meet with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. This visit comes as a follow-up to the August 28th March on For Voting Rights, which brought together 250 partners to hold 101 marches and activations nationwide, uniting tens of thousands of people in the fight against voter suppression. #VotingRightsMarch reached over 100 million people online.

At 2:45p.m., following the meeting with Sen. Schumer, the Kings and Rev. Sharpton will hand-deliver a letter to Senate Minority Leader McConnell before holding a press conference outside of the U.S. Capitol.