“When you loot or behave violently, you give grounds to those that try to justify illegal police abuse. You become the poster child for them to say, 'See, we have no choice but to shoot and kill, or use a chokehold, because just look at the way they behave.'”

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.