National Action Network
Encyclopedia
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York, in early 1991.
In the spirit of the civil rights movement, the National Action Network attempts to address the social and economic injustice experienced by blacks in the United States. The National Action Network is headquartered in Harlem, New York, but currently has over forty active chapters nationwide.
Organization
The organization's Board of Directors, which includes the nation's most influential ministers, is chaired by Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson. The Board of Directors has a tradition of including those most recognized in the civil rights movement, as it was first chaired by Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, Pastor Emeritus of Canaan Baptist Church, New York, and former Executive Director to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
In addition to Dr. Walker, the late Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King
Coretta Scott King was an American author, activist, and civil rights leader. The widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King helped lead the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Mrs...
, widow of Martin Luther King, and her son, Martin Luther King, III, support the organization and participate annually in the Keepers of the Dream Awards Dinner and National Convention.
The National Convention draws leaders from media, business, politics and the civil rights movement from across the country. The 2007 convention featured six presidential candidates and was dubbed by the media as the "Sharpton Primary."
National Action Network has established chapters in a wide variety of cities throughout the nation. The most recent chapter to be established is in Boston and is headed by Dr. B. J. Smith.
Issues of focus
The National Action Network is widely credited with drawing national attention to such critical issues as racial profiling, police brutality, and the US Naval bombing exercises on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Notably, the organization was prominently involved with the police brutality cases of Amadou DialloAmadou Diallo
Amadou Diallo was a 23-year-old Guinean immigrant in New York City who was shot and killed on February 4, 1999 by four New York City Police Department plain-clothed officers: Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon and Kenneth Boss. The four officers fired a total of 41 shots...
(New York), Abner Louima
Abner Louima
Abner Louima is a Haitian who was assaulted, brutalized and forcibly sodomized with the handle of a bathroom plunger by New York City police officers after being arrested outside a Brooklyn nightclub in 1997....
(New York) and Patrick Dorismond (New York).
In 1999, the organization launched The Madison Avenue Initiative or "MAI", a program designed to address the inequities in the advertising industry. MAI was created after a racially charged memorandum, infamously dubbed, "The Katz Memo", was circulated among certain radio stations, stating that advertisers wanted "prospects, not suspects". The recognition of this memorandum set off an investigation into the spending practices of corporations, specifically examining whether their advertising budgets with African-American and Latino publications and advertising agencies was commensurate with their consumer bases.
In 2000, the organization launched the Truth Hamer Voter Registration and Education Initiative. The Truth Hamer Initiative set out to register one million women to vote, targeting populations in traditionally overlooked areas, such as public housing developments, transitional housing communities and rural areas.
In 2007 the organization launched the Decency Initiative, headed by Tamika Mallory. The Decency Initiative's initial aims are to prohibit the use of three words in music - the "N" word, the "B" word and "ho." On May 3rd, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's birthday Reverend Sharpton, Tamika Mallory, NYC Councilwoman Darlene Mealey and the children of James Brown marched with over 1,000 supporters on several music studios in midtown Manhattan.
Sharpton's organization has been heavily courted by endorsement by presidential candidates including both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-ushill0421,0,3464673,print.story?coll=ny-top-headlines.
Tax controversies
The United States and the New York State governments have investigated the organization for tax payment irregularities. As late as 2006 (the most recent year for which documents are available), the National Action Network owes $1.9 million in payroll taxes and penalties.Recently, many donors to the National Action Network have been subpoenaed as part of the probe, including Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
.
Controversial Donations
Sharpton has engaged in controversial donation policies — specifically the practice of threatening protests and boycotts of corporations while simultaneously soliciting donations and sponsorships from them. According to the New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, several major corporations, including Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
and Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
, have donated thousands of dollars to the National Action Network. The Post asserted that the donations were made to prevent boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
s or rallies by the National Action Network.