Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr., better known as Reverend Al Sharpton, was born on October 3, 1954, in Brooklyn. The first few years of his life were amazing. His dad owned about 23 buildings in Brooklyn, and his father spoiled his mom by purchasing her a brand new Cadillac every year. Sprinkle sprinkle!
Al was just 4 years old when he preached for the first time at a church service. Just a few years later, his entire world was flipped upside down. At the age of nine, he woke up one day to find that his dad and his 18-year-old half-sister Ernestine, from his mom’s first marriage, were gone. It turns out his dad and Ernestine were having an affair, and Ernestine ended up getting pregnant.
When his dad and Ernestine finally came back to the family home, they took one of Al’s sisters with them. Al stayed estranged from his father for many years. In an interview with Oprah’s Next Chapter, he shared how they were plunged into poverty, forcing his mom to scrub floors just to get by. They had to move to what Al called “the hood.” Al told Oprah, “If I hadn’t known a middle-class life before moving to the hood, I might not have been as angry. But I felt robbed. I believed I had the right life, and it was taken from me for no reason, humiliating my mother in the process.” He explained that he would wake up angry, carry that anger all day, and repeat the cycle every day.
As reported by the LA Times, Al was ordained as a Pentecostal minister at just 10 years old. As a teenager, he became involved in community projects. At 13, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend William Jones appointed him youth director of New York’s SCLC Operation Breadbasket, an organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Just months after Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, 13-year-old Al was ordained as a Baptist minister. In 1971, while still in high school, Al founded a National Youth Organization to promote social and economic justice for Black Americans. A young man named Teddy Brown moved from Georgia to New York to join Al’s organization. Tragically, in 1973, 19-year-old Teddy died in a car accident. There have been lingering questions about his death, with one family member suggesting Teddy was shot just before the crash.
Teddy’s father, James Brown, held a memorial concert in New York and donated the proceeds to Al’s organization. The New York Times noted that Al was so captivated by James that he accidentally followed him on stage during his performance. James reportedly said, “This is a man’s world! Get your ass off the stage, little boy! Go sit your ass down somewhere and enjoy this show!” Upon learning about Al’s family situation, James took Al under his wing, becoming his mentor and father figure. From his late teens to mid-20s, Al toured with James. Although Al was drawn to the music industry, James insisted that he stay focused on activism and addressing racial tensions in New York’s Black neighborhoods. James even gave Al tips on how to style his hair.
James did something that forever changed Al’s life: he introduced him to his backup singer, Kathy Jordan. Al and Kathy got married in 1980, and they welcomed two daughters, Dominique and Ashley. During the 1980s, Al worked hard to make a living as a minister and civil rights activist. Thanks to his connection with James, he also started mingling with celebrities. Despite his success, the anger he felt as a child lingered, and Al used this intense emotion to fight for black people hurt by the police or other racial groups. However, his anger backfired in 1987 when he became an advisor to Tawana Brawley, a 15-year-old who claimed she was raped by six white law enforcement officers. Tawana was found on the side of the road with racial slurs and feces on her body, sparking national outrage. “I’m not a liar and I’m not crazy,” she insisted, but there was no forensic evidence of a sexual attack.
Upstate New York prosecutor Steven Pagones was accused of being one of the suspects. A grand jury declined to bring indictments, determining that Tawana fabricated the story to avoid punishment from her family for staying out too late. Steven sued Al, Tawana, and Tawana’s lawyers for defamation. Al was ordered to pay $65,000, which he did after his wages were garnished. Tawana was ordered to pay $190,000, but by 2015, sources reported she had only paid off about 1% of her debt, which had grown to over $430,000 with interest. The case tarnished Al’s reputation, with critics, politicians, and the media demanding he apologize and publicly condemn Tawana. However, Al refused. “You’ve apologized, you’ve asked for forgiveness, except on Tawana Brawley.” “I have thought about that a million times. I just don’t believe they treated that case fairly,” he said. He did express regret for some of the harsh names he called Steven and learned to avoid personal attacks in his activism.
In the 90s, Al faced more challenges. He was acquitted of felony charges of stealing $250,000 from his youth group. In 1993, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for failing to file a state income tax return. Authorities later found that one of his for-profit companies, Raw Talent, was also not paying taxes. He ran for the Senate three times and campaigned to be the mayor of New York City in 1997, but fell short each time. Kathy, described by the New Yorker as a strikingly attractive woman, no longer sang for James and instead sang in a choir. In 2001, Reverend Jesse Jackson, married for 38 years, admitted to fathering a child with an employee at his civil rights organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Al, one of Jesse’s loudest supporters, said in a news conference, “I remind people that Reverend Jesse Jackson should not be judged by just this situation. We should remember that for 35 years, it was Jesse Jackson who walked a picket line, marched, went to jail, and then went to foreign shores to bring home prisoners of war for this nation. Jesse Jackson should not be seen just in one limited and one-dimensional act.” It’s possible to applaud Jesse for his activism and criticize him for cheating on his wife. He should have kept his personal life in check.
Was Al adamant that Jesse should be given some grace because he was also living foul? Marjorie Fields Harris, the executive director of Al’s charity, met Basil Smikle at Al’s office in January 2000. They started dating, and within two months, Basil proposed. However, six months later, while they were planning their wedding, Basil discovered emails Marjorie had sent to Al. One email read: “Dear Al, things with Basil aren’t going well, and I’ve come to the realization that you’re my soulmate. Don’t worry, Big Daddy, things will go back to normal soon, I promise. Love always, Marjorie.” In another email, Marjorie reportedly referenced Al’s need to release bodily fluids. What a scandal! When Basil confronted Marjorie about the emails, she convinced him that Al was the aggressor, and she always turned him down. Basil believed her and went through with their wedding in May 2001.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Shortly after Marjorie’s wedding, Al and his wife Kathy planned to renew their vows after 20 years of marriage. Did Al plan this because he was upset about Marjorie getting married? It’s unclear. Al missed Marjorie’s wedding because he was locked up in Puerto Rico during a protest, although he had already decided not to attend. He had to delay his vow renewal but eventually had the ceremony with Kathy later in 2001.
Marjorie and Basil’s marriage was rocky from the start. Basil was uncomfortable with Marjorie’s relationship with Al, suspecting Al of trying to drive a wedge between them. Al and Marjorie allegedly messaged each other all night, traveled first class together, and stayed in expensive hotels. Basil noticed Marjorie wearing a new Rolex, mink coats, and expensive jewelry, and she bought a Cadillac from the same dealership that Al’s charity used. Later, he found out she had also purchased a Mercedes but couldn’t figure out how she was affording it. Despite being the executive director of Al’s charity, Marjorie rarely worked a full day, according to the charity’s campaign scheduler. Sometimes she and Al would be gone for days, and no one knew where they were.
In April 2003, Al reportedly moved out of his family’s Brooklyn home. Around the same time, Marjorie moved out of the Harlem apartment she shared with Basil and into an apartment in the building formerly known as Trump Place. Basil filed for divorce shortly after. Marjorie’s neighbors and the doormen at Trump Place reported seeing Al at the building at all hours. Both Marjorie and Al denied having an affair. Some saw the allegations as a hit piece since Al was the 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee when the news broke. Others were outraged that Al campaigned as a married man while secretly separated from Kathy. Al conceded defeat to Senator John Kerry in November 2004. The Sharptons officially announced their separation but stated they would remain on good terms. Whatever was between Al and Marjorie didn’t last, and she was eventually listed as the former executive director on the charity’s website.
In the end, Marjorie lost her position, her wealth, and her husband.
On Christmas Day 2006, James passed away from a heart attack at the age of 73. Reflecting on his father’s death, Al took to social media, saying, “I miss him dearly, but I hold onto the precious memories. I’m thankful for his impact on the world and in my life.” By 2009, Al and Kathy were legally married but living apart. Although Kathy usually kept a low profile, she made headlines that November for an unexpected reason.
During a drive with their daughter Dominique, they encountered a slow-moving car. Dominique, at the wheel, impatiently honked and attempted a risky maneuver, unaware the vehicle ahead was an unmarked police cruiser. Their impulsive actions led to a confrontation with the police, resulting in their arrest. They reportedly invoked Al’s name in an attempt to avoid trouble, but the charges were eventually dropped, and the incident sealed from public record.
As years passed without immediate plans to divorce, Al focused on his health, shedding over 100 pounds and eventually entering a new chapter of his personal life. In 2013, at age 58, Al stepped out publicly with Aisha McShaw, then 35, at the New York County Democratic Committee awards ceremony. Media scrutiny intensified as they delved into Aisha’s background, revealing her roles as a mother, Wells Fargo personal banker, and personal stylist to notable clients. Aisha later launched her own fashion line, but Al’s supporters criticized his public relationship while still legally married, citing both ethical concerns and their significant age gap.
In response to the backlash, Al defended his right to pursue companionship a decade after his marriage effectively ended, questioning why he shouldn’t date when no longer bound by marital ties.
“Aisha often accompanied Al to prestigious black-tie events across the country, and she even joined him at the White House on multiple occasions. After 17 years of separation, Al finally filed for divorce from Kathy in February 2021, stating, ‘After years of living apart, Kathy and I have decided to formalize our separation with a divorce. We intend to handle this amicably.’ Will this divorce finally come to an end, or will it drag on for another 17 years? As of now, Al remains actively involved in advocating for justice, recently reconnecting with his biological father after years of estrangement. Despite ongoing divorce proceedings with Kathy, Al and Aisha’s relationship remains strong. Aisha, renowned for her original designs, including a breathtaking gown she crafted for the 2024 Met Gala, is a constant presence by his side on the red carpet.”