Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Racism is abhorrent. So are shakedown artists who cry racism to rake in cash.
The Rev. Al Sharpton publicly threatened McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski on April 27, using the same language his National Action Network has used for three decades to squeeze cash out of major corporations.
Sharpton referred to “multiple accusations of racial discrimination” by McDonald’s and warned that NAN is poised to mobilize nationally against the company. “You cannot sell Black folks Big Macs and give us little justice,” he said.
Mainstream media glorified this threat, calling Sharpton a “social justice leader.” Race hustler is more like it.
Racial discrimination should be punished to the full extent of the law. But Sharpton isn’t a judge or juror. He uses thuggery, not due process.
Is McDonald’s guilty of racial discrimination? That’s for courts to decide. McDonald’s has been sued by Black franchise owners alleging they were mistreated compared with white owners. But a federal judge threw out one of those lawsuits for lack of evidence in June 2021. Another was dismissed in October 2022.
Sharpton also claims outrage over “the removal of John Rogers, a well-respected business leader for the Black community,” from McDonald’s corporate board. Truth is, Rogers served 20 years and is now retiring. He left at the same time as a white director who also had served that long.
Finally, Sharpton accused the hamburger giant of not giving “Black-owned media” a “fair share” of “McDonald’s supersized advertising budgets.” That charge echoes a lawsuit by Black entrepreneur Byron Allen. The case goes to trial with a jury on May 30. Let the jury decide, not Sharpton.
For many years, corporations have paid off Sharpton’s group to avoid boycotts and rallies outside their headquarters — the same “action” Sharpton’s letter threatens to take against McDonald’s. A $100,000 donation seems cheap compared to the damage he could do.
Sharpton is feared partly because the Democratic Party puts him on a pedestal. Vice President Kamala Harris and nine other senior Biden administration officials — nearly Biden’s entire cabinet — spoke at NAN’s annual convention two weeks ago.
President Joe Biden’s three-minute video last week launching his reelection bid features not one but four images of Sharpton.
As if Sharpton were a national hero. In 1987, Sharpton accused six white men, including upstate New York prosecutor Steven Pagones, of raping Black teenager Tawana Brawley, smearing her with feces and leaving her wrapped in garbage bags. It would have been horrific if true, but a grand jury ruled the charges a hoax, and Pagones won a defamation suit against Sharpton. Even now, Sharpton refuses to apologize, insisting that it wasn’t his job to determine whether the teenager’s story was true.
After the Brawley sham, Sharpton moved to strong-arming corporations. “Al Sharpton has enriched himself and NAN for years by threatening companies with bad publicity if they didn’t come to terms with him,” reported Ken Boehm, late chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center in Virginia
In 2014, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated Sharpton’s 60th birthday party at a lavish affair. President Barack Obama sent an aide to read birthday greetings.
Already, the Democratic Party had made him an icon, choosing to ignore the truth. Sharpton personally failed to pay millions in back taxes and routinely stiffed travel agencies, hotels and landlords, reported The New York Times that year. NAN owed years worth of payroll taxes, and was “among the most delinquent nonprofit organizations in the nation.”
Brazenly, Sharpton sold the rights to his own life story to NAN in 2018 to take out another $531,000 for himself.
The tragic death of George Floyd in 2020 raised the nation’s consciousness but also brought flush times for race hustlers. NAN raised a record $11 million that year, and since then Sharpton has doubled his compensation and elevated his lifestyle. NAN forks over nearly $1 million a year for private jets and limos. That kind of luxury spending is taboo for legitimate charities.
Shame on the Democratic Party for empowering Sharpton, who doesn’t represent justice or all African Americans.
Beware of those who demand cash while cloaking themselves in moral outrage.
Lethal says
I wish they would drop the ‘Reverend’ from Sharpton’s name. There is nothing reverent about him.
jamesHalifax says
I wouldn’t mind if blacks boycotted McDonalds. Maybe then you could go in at night time and order some food without a riot breaking out.
Spurwing Plover says
Its past time to investigate Sharpton and those who support this phony Reverend he is as authentic as a 3 Dollar Bill and should be excommunicated
Donna says
He’s Obama’s buddy and a community DISorganizer, he’ll never be held responsible for anything.
Wasn’t his $9,000,000 tax debt waived off by Obama? buddy to buddy right?
Martina Vaslovik says
Hey Al, paid your taxes yet?
CowboyUp says
Doesn’t he owe for civil judgements against him as well? I bet that’s also a big part of why he wears $1200 suits and $800 shoes he doesn’t own himself. He lives like a king, but is technically broke.
Ugly Sid says
I’ll have one McPayoff.
CowboyUp says
Would you like a shoe shine for those expensive shoe’s you wear, but don’t own, with that, mr. sharpton?
CowboyUp says
There’s justice and injustice. “Social justice,” “economic justice,” “environmental justice,” and “racial justice,” are just synonyms for “injustice.” They are something other than plain justice. The same goes for equality and equity.
The leadership and membership of al’s National Action Network doesn’t “look like America.” By al’s own standards, they are a racist, and racial supremacist organization. Empirically, they are as well, but they don’t even attempt a fig leaf of “diversity,” or “inclusion.”.
Intrepid says
The shakedown has been Sharpton’s grift ever since he was a fat slob in Brooklyn Heights
Kasandra says
Let’s not forget his role in the Crown Height and Freddie’s Fashion Mart riots and deaths. He’s such an odious person, propped up by the Dem Party and our garbage “news media” (although I repeat myself) for their own reasons. Frankly, I think McDonald’s should call his bluff. I don’t see the black community’s dining habits changing because this wretch tells them to.
Verneoz says
Sharpton – The race hustler-in-chief. The reason this turd still exists is cowardly corporate CEOs that pay Sharpton his shakedowns.
Justin Swingle says
Sharpton is a petty criminals but goes for the big figures so he can pimp out his lifestyle.
He uses the same paradigm that Jesse Jackson used for decades and BLM uses today.
In reality, it merely another form of BLACK FASCISM, the same pattern the Nazis used. in 1930’s Germany
After the Brawley sham, Sharpton moved to strong-arming corporations. “Al Sharpton has enriched himself and NAN for years by threatening companies with bad publicity if they didn’t come to terms with him,” reported Ken Boehm, late chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center in Virginia
Justin Swingle says
BLM is imploding
By Rajan Laad
BLM used the business model pioneered by veteran race hustler Al Sharpton. Sharpton’s functioned with the implicit message ‘support me or you are a racist’ which also means ‘donate (to my charity) or you are a racist.
Sharpton used his charity to enrich himself and his family. Sharpton was also a tax dodger. In 2016, Sharpton personally owed over $3 million in federal taxes.
jcr says
Coporations should give Al a F–You, middle finger salute.
Ignore him.
Remember. Al’s ppl are impoverished. We’re told they have no money to spend. They need welfare,
So they don’t eat out.
What is the problem?
Bob Boskey says
Just another corporate shake-down.
10ffgrid says
Sharpton is a lifelong D-rated racist huckster – that’s all.
Billy Corr says
The once-revered UK “Guardian” refers to this absurd charlatan as a “civil rights leader.”
John Blackman says
” racism is not dead , but is on life support. kept alive by politicians , race hustlers , and people who get a sense of superiority by denouncing others as racist ” thomas sowell .
Kynarion Hellenis says
McDonald’s could unleash at least a few thousand surveillance videos of blacks causing violence and mayhem in their restaurants. McDonald’s bottom line might improve if blacks DID boycott them.