Born 1954

Al Sharpton began his long, talkative career at the tender age of four: advertised as the “Wonder Boy Preacher,” he entertained and amazed audiences with his passionate, articulate speeches. He was officially ordained at age ten, and by age fifteen he was working closely with Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Jesse Jackson in both religious and civil rights organizations. Although he is periodically lambasted in the press, his constant work and tireless activism over nearly a half–century have been important contributions to the fight for civil rights and racial equality in New York.