Al Sharpton To Open Action Network In Iowa
WATERLOO, Iowa — The Rev. Al Sharpton has announced that he’ll be launching an Iowa chapter of his National Action Network in Waterloo, Iowa, the Quad-City Times reports.
Sharpton said he hoped to use his local chapter to push local and federal politicians on a range of issues from access to education and organized labor to civil rights. He said the statewide chapter won’t, however, endorse candidates of any party.
“The only impact National Action Network has is to have some policies on the table,” he said at a news conference at Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
Sharpton, a civil rights activist and 2004 presidential candidate, was asked to travel to Waterloo by Frieda Weems, a local resident and civil rights activist. However, he said he has a long history with Waterloo and the Cedar Valley.
“I think this is the first stop for civil rights leaders in Iowa,” he said.
Sharpton started his morning meeting with ministers, civil rights leaders and elected officials at Mount Carmel. He’ll be hosting his radio show “Keepin’ It Real” from the University of Northern Iowa campus.
