Rev. Al Soaks Up Boycott Bucks
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Anheuser-Busch gave him six figures, Colgate-Palmolive shelled out $50,000 and Macy’s and Pfizer have contributed thousands to the Rev. Al Sharpton’s charity.
Almost 50 companies—including PepsiCo, General Motors, Wal-Mart, FedEx, Continental Airlines, Johnson & Johnson and Chase—and some labor unions sponsored Sharpton’s National Action Network annual conference in April.
Terrified of negative publicity, fearful of a consumer boycott or eager to make nice with the civil-rights activist, CEOs write checks, critics say, to NAN and Sharpton—who brandishes the buying power of African-American consumers. In some cases, they hire him as a consultant.
The cash flows even as the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn has been conducting a grand-jury investigation of NAN’s finances.
A General Motors spokesman told The Post that NAN had repeatedly—and unsuccessfully—asked for contributions for six years, beginning in August 2000.
Then, in December 2006, Sharpton threatened to call a boycott of the carmaker over the closing of an African-American-owned GM dealership in The Bronx, and he picketed outside GM headquarters on Fifth Avenue.
Last year, General Motors gave NAN a $5,000 donation. It gave $5,000 more this year, a spokesman said, calling NAN a “worthy” organization.
In November 2003, Sharpton picketed DaimlerChrysler’s Chicago car show and threatened a boycott over alleged racial bias in car loans.
{snip}
In May 2004, Chrysler began supporting NAN’s conferences, which include panels on corporate responsibility and civil rights and a black-tie awards dinner to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Last year, Sharpton gave Chrysler an award for corporate excellence.
In 2003, Sharpton targeted American Honda for not hiring enough African-Americans in management.
{snip}
Two months after American Honda execs met with Sharpton, the carmaker began to sponsor NAN’s events—and continues to pay “a modest amount” each year, a spokesman said.
“I think this is quite clearly a shakedown operation,” said Peter Flaherty, president of the National Legal and Policy Center in Virginia, a conservative corporate watchdog. “He’s good at harassing people and making noise. CEOs give him his way because it is a lot easier than confronting him.”
{snip}
A businessman who hired Sharpton as a consultant says the flamboyant leader skillfully persuades CEOs by wielding the statistic that African-Americans spend $738 billion a year.
“His way of doing things was, ‘If we’re going to support you and you’re not going to support us, then we have to focus on telling the African-American community not to spend their money,’ ” said La-Van Hawkins, a partner in Hawkins Food Group, which owns and operates fast-food franchises nationwide.
{snip}
Sharpton made the same complaint against Macy’s in 1998. The company appointed Sharpton an unpaid adviser on diversity, but also funds NAN’s annual conference. Last week, Macy’s Senior Vice President Ed Goldberg praised Sharpton as “the kind of guy you can sit down and talk to.”
In a dramatic flip-flop, Sharpton in 2000 blasted New York developer Bruce Ratner for paying low wages to workers at his Atlantic Mall in Brooklyn.
{snip}
NAN, which began humbly in Harlem in 1991 with Saturday-morning rallies at PS 175, now boasts 45 chapters across the country. The group lobbies for African-American rights and raises awareness of issues such as police brutality and racial profiling.
“Sharpton went national just like a franchise,” said Flaherty. “Each of these local chapters can now hit up businesses for support in their communities.”
{snip}
Sharpton sticks up for his corporate patrons.
Since 2005, Wal-Mart has given yearly support to NAN, including sponsorship of last April’s conference, without disclosing the amounts.
In 2006, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Sharpton rival, accused the retailer of buying silence from critics of its employment practices by trying to “throw money at us.”
At the time, Sharpton rushed to the company’s defense. “Wal-Mart has in no way tried to persuade me with money,” he declared.
NAN, a tax-exempt nonprofit, closely guards its corporate largesse. Most companies also keep the sums secret, and some would not divulge them. The corporations interviewed by The Post viewed their relationships with NAN as friendly and beneficial.
{snip}
Last year, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found NAN had failed to file years’ worth of financial reports. The group has filed more records, but the AG’s office said it won’t release them pending the US attorney’s probe.
In its 2006 IRS filing, the latest available, NAN reported about $1 million in contributions and $1.1 million in expenses and programs. It owes the IRS $1.9 million in payroll taxes, The Post has learned.
{snip}
Email Isabel Vincent at susan.edelman@nypost.com.
(Posted on June 16, 2008)
Comments
Rev Al’s operations are extortion and he needs to be prosecuted under the RICO statues.
And I somehow I doubt that the corporations are afraid of him. If corporations had funded pro white, anti affirmative action conservative legal groups the way they fund the ACLU NOW, SPLC etc rev Al would be an unknown welfare reciepient
Getting rid of the white working man, labor unions, decent wages is the priority. And Rev Al and the corporations work together to do this.
Posted by at 6:19 PM on June 16
Major companies fund $harptons charities out of fear. This is true of the Rev.Je$$ie Jack$on as well. These two among others are the kings of despicableness, as another one of them, that icon of virtue, boxing “promoter” Don King would say.
Posted by Bobby at 6:33 PM on June 16
NAN isn’t a charity; it’s an extortion racket. In an ideal world, the shareholders of these corporations would be suing the boards of directors for wasting their money in this manner.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 6:36 PM on June 16
Sharpton is SMART—-whites are lazy and dumb.
If whites would get off their white butts and march and protest, then they’d get paid too!
But whites are too soft and nice and just want to watch TV and cry about the doom surrounding them.
Posted by at 6:59 PM on June 16
I’ve often wondered why businesses give in as easily as they do to threats of boycotts and then a black radio talk-show host explained it.
The reason companies fold quickly is because for most businesses, the margin of profit is small. Any medium to small size group that withdraws their patronage can have a big and fast impact.
It’s better for these companies to quickly give in and apologize before economic damage is done. Any sign of protracted holdout could translate into sales that never rebound.
Blacks have the power which gives them, or more accurately, their leaders the money.
Posted by sbuffalonative at 7:02 PM on June 16
The Great Jena Fiasco was funded largely by the Traitorous-to-Whites Corporations. I will of course boycott every company listed. My loyalty remains to companies who boycott NAN.
Posted by Lars at 8:21 PM on June 16
White Americans have MUCH more buying power. What’s the point of this?
Posted by at 9:06 PM on June 16
From the article:
“…[NAN] owes the IRS $1.9 million in payroll taxes, The Post has learned…”
Yeah, here’s the ‘Rev.’ Al’s take on taxes:
“…In a 1988 interview, Sharpton said he saw no reason why blacks should pay taxes. ‘If we do not have a justice system that protects us, what are we paying for?’ Sharpton has faced multiple charges—and one conviction—of tax evasion…”
Also from the article:
“…’He’s good at harassing people and making noise. CEOs give him his way because it is a lot easier than confronting him….”
Or ending up dead with your business burned to the ground…
“…A Jewish store owner in Harlem was accused of driving a black record store owner out of business…Sharpton said…’I want to make it clear…that we will not stand by and allow them to move this brother so that some white interloper can expand his business.’ Following a demonstration…one of the protestors, a black man, stormed Freddy’s Fashion Mart with a pistol, screaming, ‘It’s on now! All blacks out!’ In addition to shooting, he set fire to the building, eventually killing himself and seven others. Initially, Sharpton denied having spoken at any rallies…”
http://www.larryelder.com/ascrimes.html
Al Sharpton is a disgrace. Period.
Bon
Posted by BonBon at 10:32 PM on June 16
The cash flows even as the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn has been conducting a grand-jury investigation of NAN’s finances.
Just when will this race hustler be brought to justice? Anyone who believes that his books are in order might be interested in buying an island in the Pacific from me.
Posted by at 10:44 PM on June 16
What’s the deal with corporations ‘giving money’ to organizations like Sharpton’s? They are one and the same. Raising an objection, is like Coke suing Diet Coke.
Posted by at 12:50 AM on June 17
La-Van Hawkins, a partner in Hawkins Food Group, started out in Detroit as an affirmative action franchiser for Burger King and a couple of others. Of course, he spent years defending lawsuits from the the franchise corporations over his shady business practices. It was all over the The Detroit News and Free Press.
Posted by Lost in Paradise at 3:11 AM on June 17
To the poster: “Sharpton is SMART—-whites are lazy and dumb.
If whites would get off their white butts and march and protest, then they’d get paid too!
But whites are too soft and nice and just want to watch TV and cry about the doom surrounding them.
Posted by at 6:59 PM on June 16 “
You have a very valid point and I have been asking people on AR for a long time when do we have an action network? When do we stop being afraid?
Posted by american outside at 4:19 AM on June 17
Actions exactly like Sharpton’s actually have been prosecuted as extortion in the past. After the killing in Wyoming of Mathew Shepherd, a homosexual advocacy group tried to extrort money from Colorado-based Celestial Seasonings tea, under threat of a boycott by gays. They got prosecuted.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 5:10 AM on June 17
These companies are not afraid of Al Sharpton. Don’t fall for this vulgar propaganda.
I mean, do you really believe that the vicious sociopaths who run these big companies couldn’t buy and sell Al Sharpton, not to mention knock him off, if they wanted to?
Come on. Give me a break.
Posted by Pro-White Wikipedia Reader at 7:53 AM on June 17
In the old days most white americans didn’t care if blacks felt “left out”, thus, companies like this (built by those “racist, white men”, you know) would have ignored him completely…and so would most of the customers.
Perhaps, they should ask the customers and shareholders what they think? Why don’t the shareholders and customers say that if they give in to Sharpton that they’ll take their money elsewhere. THAT would be interesting to see!
Posted by at 9:16 AM on June 17
White Americans are six time the population of blacks. What could we accomplish if we boycotted. Where would blacks be if not for white supporters. In any field. Email any company and tell them you will not buy their products until white people are treated better. Especially the ones who paid off Sharpton.
Posted by at 9:38 AM on June 17
Al Sharpton is a pathetic penny ante chump change extortion artist of an order barely above that a homeless guy with a plastic bucket standing in the middle of traffic.
If you readers don’t believe it, check out La Raza’s recent 16.5 million dollar shakedown of the Wachovia Foundation.
$50,000 from Colgate-Palmolive ain’t squat.
Posted by Flaxen-headed Strumpet at 9:42 AM on June 17
“Say, it’s a pretty nice business you got here. Shame if something were to happen to it.”
Blatant extortion threats coming from a man with the title of “Reverend”. I give credit to Sharpton for instituting his shakedown plans on a national scale rather than committing the crime with a gun or knife as normally happens.
Posted by ODDL at 10:34 AM on June 17
In May 2008, the Associated Press reported that Sharpton and his businesses owed almost $1.5 million in unpaid taxes and penalties. Sharpton owed $931,000 in federal income tax and $366,000 to New York, and his for-profit company, Rev. Al Communications, owed another $176,000 to the state.[8]
RACE HUSTLING is BIG BUCKS!…you can BET that the government will NEVER go after the money!…even if they did…the BLACK CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS would pass a “bill” to EXEMPT him from the taxes!…If he were WHITE…his businesses would be PADLOCKED and AUCTIONED OFF…his TAX-EXEMPT “charity” would LOSE the tax-exempt status!
Posted by Suzan Donoghue at 11:35 AM on June 17
Well, he’s surely not dumb. He’s learned how to milk the system and his own people at the same time. I hold both Sharpton and Jackson in the highest degree of contempt as they are both nothing but vultures preying off the misery of others.
Posted by at 1:20 PM on June 17
What this amounts to is corporations capitulating to a mugger.
Posted by at 2:23 PM on June 17
“What could we accomplish if we boycotted. Where would blacks be if not for white supporters.”
Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it wouldn’t accomplish that much. Blacks already have in place a deal-with-other-blacks system. That’s what phrases like ‘give back to the community’ stand for. What did you think they stood for?
“I have been asking people on AR for a long time when do we have an action network? When do we stop being afraid?”
We will never stop being afraid. I do wish, however, there were events we could attend in person.
Posted by at 3:38 PM on June 17
Why don’t some of you intelligent people tell me once again why America is a nation of hope…I just don’t see it that way.
My America has been outlawed over the past 60 years, we are gone and forgotten, the bottom rail is on top and will always remain there.
Posted by jdavis at 3:55 PM on June 17
Apart from the dichotomy of a baptist minister eagerly supporting homosexuality and same-sex marriage and driving to see “homophobia” eliminated from the church (despite the Bible clearly condemning the practice and authentic Christian theologians rejecting it for over 2,000 years), isn’t this the second time around that he’s been in tax trouble?
Posted by Unemployed WASP at 4:40 PM on June 17
This puts me in mind of those phishing scams on the internet….chancers, just seeing if someone is dumb enough to fall for it.
They should tell Al Sharpton to get stuffed and take all his business to all those big black successful corporations….oh wait sorry there aren’t any.
Posted by at 11:21 PM on June 17
He’s just following in the footsteps of Jesse Jackson. I don’t know why these companies continue to pay this blackmail.
Posted by Gayle Sollenberger at 12:00 PM on June 18
“African-Americans spend $738 billion a year.” Really? Of whose money?
Posted by at 5:37 PM on June 18
Blackmail is blackmail no matter who is involved.
Posted by Frank at 3:51 PM on June 22