Al Sharpton
A fiery orator and relentless campaigner who has kept racial justice at the forefront of America's conversation for decades.
Born 1954 (age 72)·American Baptist minister, activist and talk show host·Birthday: October 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Reverend Al Sharpton has been a towering, and often controversial, figure in American activism since his youth. Trained in the church and by civil rights elders, he founded the National Action Network and became a master of using media and direct action to demand accountability, most notably in cases of police violence. His 2004 presidential run, while unsuccessful, solidified his role as a power broker who could shape Democratic Party platforms. Sharpton evolved from a polarizing street protester into a respected elder statesman, hosting his own television and radio shows where he dissects politics and injustice. His journey mirrors the nation's own turbulent path on race—always pushing, always present, a constant reminder of unfinished business.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Al was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded the National Action Network, a major civil rights organization.
- Was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
- Organized and led numerous high-profile protests and marches for justice, including the 1995 Million Man March.
- Hosts the nationally syndicated radio talk show 'Keepin' It Real' and the MSNBC program 'PoliticsNation.'
Did You Know?
He was ordained as a Pentecostal minister at the age of ten.
He was a close advisor to soul singer James Brown and gave the eulogy at his funeral.
He was stabbed in the chest during a protest in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in 1991.
He worked as the youth director for Operation Breadbasket, led by Jesse Jackson.
“We didn't come here to play politics. We came here to change politics.”
