“Demonstrations must be dignified and nonviolent, as the overwhelming protests in Ferguson and Staten Island have been. Do not confuse anarchists who don't want the system to work and thugs who want to exploit a situation with the majority who from day one have operated with impeccable nonviolence and clear goals.”

American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and media personality

Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. is an American civil rights and social justice activist, Baptist minister, radio talk show host, and television personality. He founded the National Action Network and was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 U.S. presidential election. He is known for public advocacy on civil rights and social justice, as well as for a long media presence. He hosts the weekday radio show Keepin' It Real, syndicated nationally by Urban One, and serves as a political analyst and weekend host for MS NOW on PoliticsNation.