Al Sharpton: 'Progressives' are shortchanging African Americans — again.

Food for thought! While African Americans are not monolithic and Al Sharpton does not speak for all of us, he is on target with this opinion piece that he wrote for USA Today about progressives failure to speak to African Americans. George L. Cook III African American Reports.

By Al Sharpton

Democrats might care about issues that are important to us. But are they fueling African-American participation or interest? Not even close.

When Jesse Jackson ran for president during the 1980s, as when I ran in 2004, there were progressives in America just like there are today. Those progressives were well meaning individuals and politicians who shared our views and strongly believed in what we believed in. Despite this progressive political presence, our presidential campaigns were so important and necessary because the voices of black, brown and poorer white voters were not heard by the elites in American politics and government. Our agendas were not getting carried out. There was a great deal of talk back then, but no real action. That same dynamic holds true today.

The press speaks a great deal about the supposed fact that the “Democratic base” is riled up and activated by the state of play in America. This assessment ignores the most important segment of that base: the African-American voter. We are not motivated by anyone right now. While Sen. Bernie Sanders did a remarkable job in the 2016 presidential primaries and went further than anyone thought possible, he did so without the African-American vote, losing among African-American voters by more than 50 percentage points.

While that progressive coalition purported to speak FOR the African-American voter, it did not talk TO African Americans. The so-called Hillary Clinton base of the party, while crushing Sanders, attracted substantially fewer black voters to turn out than in recent presidential primaries, and in the general election, running against a novice, the black voter turnout rate declined for the first time in 20 years in a presidential election, falling 7 percentage points compared to 2012. Arguably, that disinterested black vote cost Clinton the presidency.

Read more: Al Sharpton: 'Progressives' are shortchanging African Americans — again.

Spike Lee holding rally for Colin Kaepernick at NFL headquarters

Spike Lee doesn’t like the way unemployed former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to be shunned by the NFL and he’s doing something about it.

The noted film director and writer announced with a tweet Tuesday he is staging a rally to support his fellow social activist Kaepernick at NFL headquarters in New York on Aug. 23.

pic.twitter.com/AejLPaaWHD

— Spike Lee (@SpikeLee) August 8, 2017

A question to those against a $15 minimum wage.

Detractors of a $15 minimum wage always say that it will cost jobs, but they never look at the flip side of their own argument. George Cook of African American Reports has a question for those with that particular argument.

Rev. Jesse Jackson visits Fla., discusses voter suppression

The Rev. Jesse Jackson says there was no evidence of voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election but says President Trump's Commission on Election Integrity should look at the suppression of minority voters in certain states, including Florida.

The civil rights activist visited St. John Baptist Church in Orlando Sunday to encourage voter participation and to talk about voter suppression.

In a call with The Associated Press, Jackson said between 1.3 and 1.7 million voters don't have the right to vote in Florida because they have a felony conviction although they are no longer incarcerated.

Jackson says his Rainbow PUSH Coalition has set up its own commission of scholars and activists to look into such voter suppression. The group is also focusing on voter registration in closely watched elections in Virginia and New Jersey. And in Florida, the group is focused on restoration of voting rights for felons.

[SOURCE: ORLANDO SENTINEL]

Claressa Shields a pro champ already!

In just her fourth pro fight Olympic boxing champion Claressa Shields has become the Women's WBC and IBF Super Middleweight champion.

"Who's better than me?" Shields asked after pummeling Nikki Adler on Friday night, giving the two-time Olympic champion the two world titles. "I don't know of anybody yet. And if I do find somebody, I'm ready to take her out."

The lopsided fight was mercifully stopped at 1:34 of the fifth round, awarding Shields a victory by technical knockout. She used a combination of powerful punches that left Adler defenseless in a matchup of previously unbeaten boxers.

Shields (4-0, 2 KOs) didn't let up in the second, stunning Adler (16-1) with a left hook midway through the round. Shields went to her body in the third round before aiming high in the fourth, hitting Adler squarely in the face with a right that seemed to set up the end of the fight in the fifth.

In the end, Shields landed 136 of 340 punches while Adler connected on just 6 of 84. In the first and fifth round, Adler failed to connect once.

[SOURCE: ESPN]