Rev. Al Sharpton

Greetings!

Earlier this week I wrote an insightful post, but its seems to have not saved. Lesson learned on saving incomplete documents! From now on, I will use the save function within Square Space. Copying my submissions into a google doc is also another option.

While browsing through the archive, I used the topic search and found a story on Al Sharpton. He had some really interesting experiences to share.

One of his experience’s that really resonated with me was his dynamic with Jessie Jackson. He shared how Reverend Jackson served as a mentor to him as he navigated the church and political scene. Rev. Sharpton recalled Rev. Jessie always asking the hard questions. My high school mentor did the same type of things to me. Similar to Al, I hated it too. It always felt uncomfortable to not give the answer you think the person wants to hear. In hindsight, the hard questions are never meant to hurt you, they are asked to provoke thought or draw attention to important matters.

Another experience of his that was very intriguing to me was the story of his father. Rev. Sharpton shared that his life did a complete 180 degree turn after his father admitted to having incest with a family member. Prior to the incident, the family lived a very affluent lifestyle in New York. After the incident, the family split apart. Rev. Sharpton, his mother, and siblings moved into a less desired area where they lived with the bare minimum. Some months they had less than they needed to sustain. Aside from the unconditional support he received from the lord, he was also embraced by some of his church family. having support through hard times can make all the difference in life. A lot of times when people don’t have a good support system, I can make life very challenging to get through. I can’t imagine moving through life without the individuals in my corner.