Rev. Al Sharpton, 64, may not weigh 300 pounds like he used to, but he’s still a heavyweight among Democrats. The Harlem-based civil rights activist and Baptist minister has hung around a long time and made himself increasingly influential. A Sharpton meeting in 2019 is a must for any serious Democratic presidential hopeful. No surprise then that Sharpton’s influential National Action Network (NAN) announced that he’ll be dining at Harlem’s famous soul food restaurant Sylvia’s on Thursday with California Sen. Kamala Harris. Harris, a former District Attorney, was one of the first Dems to announce her run for president. (Speaking of influence, last November soon-to-be-re-elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi spoke at a NAN-sponsored conference and praised Sharpton’s efforts.)
The NAN (founded 1991) revealed that Harris and Sharpton will talk on Thursday about “criminal justice reform and other critical issues.” In 2016 Bernie Sanders also met with Sharpton at Sylvia’s during his presidential campaign. Sylvia’s is located at 328 Malcolm X Boulevard. Sharpton himself ran for president in 2004, providing some of the most interesting moments of the debates, before Sen. John Kerry ultimately won the Democratic nomination. NAN’s 2019 Conference in April will feature many of the big name candidates including Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. John Delaney.
The 2019 @NationalAction Convention will feature many of the 2020 presidential candidates including Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren & Rep. John Delaney. Register now at https://t.co/ocZg0brEPu . #NANCONV2019 pic.twitter.com/Fd3Dp7v9pq
— NationalActionNet (@NationalAction) February 21, 2019
