[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E603-E604]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REVEREND AL'S NEW FLOCK--SHARPTON NURTURES UP-AND-COMING ACTIVISTS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Reverend Al 
Sharpton for his continued encouragement of black youths in America to 
rise up and join the struggle against poverty, low performing schools, 
corruption and other ills that plague many of our inner cities across 
this nation. The Reverend believes that the time is now for new blood

[[Page E604]]

with new and exciting ideas to speak up and become participants in the 
issues that directly influence their livelihood.
  Sharpton is trying to train today's inner city youth on how to become 
leaders just as he was trained so many years ago. Reverend Al Sharpton 
was best known as the ``Wonder Boy'' in his youth. He was also known as 
the one who began delivering sermons at the Washington Temple Church in 
Brooklyn as a first-grader. Later at age 10, Sharpton preached a sermon 
before 10,000 people at the World's Fair. During this time, Sharpton 
was a teenager and had attracted the attention of the late 
Representative Adam Clayton Powell becoming part of the Harlem 
congressman's entourage.
  Sharpton held his annual National Action Network meeting in New York 
this past week and in attendance were many of his up-and-comers who 
will likely be running cities and other municipalities along with 
Congress before long. The list includes Yaphet El-Amin who became the 
first female Muslim to hold state office in Missouri when she was 
elected in 2002. There is also Alicia Reece, a member in Sharpton's 
organization who is considered a rising star, and then there is the 
Reverend Jarrett Maupin, a 17 year-old from Phoenix, Arizona who is now 
Sharpton's youth director. Maupin made an unsuccessful bid for the 
Phoenix City Council, yet he retains the spirit and desire to run for 
his school board this year.
  I enter into the Record an article published in the New York Daily 
News on Friday April 7, 2006 entitled, ``Reverend Al's new flock'', for 
highlighting the importance of implementing forms of community 
mentoring. As members of the old guard grow older, the time is now for 
the youth in our nation to stand up as we hand them their futures. More 
people need to take the time to do the same and encourage the leaders 
of tomorrow to rightfully take their place in society.

                        Reverend Al's New Flock

                            (By Errol Louis)

       Here in New York, the Rev. Al Sharpton tends to be seen as 
     a perennial political outsider and gadfly--his detractors 
     inevitably dismiss him as a publicity-seeking hustler--but 
     that cynical, out-of-date view ignores the impressive 
     political network Sharpton has diligently been building from 
     coast to coast.
       In a dozen or so black communities where elders tend to 
     monopolize leadership of the churches, schools, civic groups, 
     political clubs and other key institutions, Sharpton has been 
     busy grooming young, ambitious candidates for office.
       By playing the role of mentor, promoter and fund-raiser, 
     Sharpton does what many shortsighted black politicians refuse 
     to do: actively encourage youngsters to join the struggle 
     against poverty, broken schools, corruption and other inner-
     city ills.
       Sharpton's approach should be copied by pols in communities 
     where new blood and new ideas are desperately needed.
       A batch of hopefuls from Generation Al--many of whom were 
     in New York City this week for the annual meeting of 
     Sharpton's National Action Network--has been particularly 
     active lately. The list includes Yaphet El-Amin, a 35-year-
     old from St. Louis who became the first female Muslim to hold 
     state office in Missouri when voters elected her to the 
     legislature in 2002. She is running for state Senate this 
     year.
       Alicia Reece, an officer in Sharpton's organization who 
     served as vice mayor of Cincinnati and lost a race for mayor 
     last year, is considered a rising star. Brooklyn's own 
     Kirsten Foy, one of Sharpton's staff members, is running for 
     a district leadership in Crown Heights this fall.
       And then there's the Rev. Jarrett Maupin, Sharpton's 
     national youth director.
       The 17-year-old from Phoenix, a college freshman who has 
     been preaching since he was 10, is so much a Sharpton clone 
     that he wears his hair in the same trademark conked-out 
     style.
       ``I had my hair like this before I met Rev. Sharpton, but 
     after I met him I decided to keep it,'' says Maupin. ``It's a 
     power look.''
       Maupin made an unsuccessful bid for the Phoenix City 
     Council last year and plans to mount a run for school board 
     this year.
       Sharpton not only holds fund-raisers and stumps for his 
     proteges, he freely connects them to political heavy-hitters. 
     This morning, for instance, they will be meeting with Sen. 
     John Kerry (D-Mass.), who is set to give a breakfast talk to 
     Sharpton's group.
       The reverend's interest in grooming young leaders dates to 
     his own background as the Wonder Boy, a prodigy who began 
     delivering sermons in Brooklyn's Washington Temple Church as 
     a first-grader.
       At age 10, Sharpton preached a sermon before 10,000 at the 
     World's Fair. By the time he was a teenager, Sharpton had 
     attracted the attention of the late Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, 
     becoming part of the Harlem congressman's entourage. Whenever 
     Powell came to town, he'd ask for ``the kid.''
       Sharpton's decision to pass along the sort of mentoring he 
     received stands in stark contrast to the way black 
     politicians in New York and elsewhere cling to office for 
     decades on end, passing their seats to relatives like 
     heirlooms and doing everything in their power to drive 
     newcomers away. But while the old guard gets older, 
     Sharpton--who's mulling another run for President in 2008--is 
     smartly playing the odds, collecting friends, fans and favors 
     among a network of up-and-comers who will likely be running 
     cities, states and Congress before long.
       The reverend won't just have powerful friends. To the 
     consternation of his enemies, he'll also get the last laugh.

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