For Rev. Al Sharpton to take advantage of George Floyd’s death — leading a “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March on Washington in August — is nothing but a total disgrace to everyone who has died at the hands of law enforcement. I give him credit for his past work with the civil rights movement, but I think it’s time for him to pass the torch to the new generation.
There’s a big disconnect between the younger generation and the older generation. Someone like Rev. Al Sharpton cannot relate to what they are going through. Most of the protesters are young adults, so someone who is from an earlier generation won’t understand what people are going through when they get pulled over, get shot, killed, maimed, or handcuffed for minor misdemeanors.
The march could have been led by some people the younger generation can relate to. Rev. Al Sharpton should have endorsed one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter — he didn’t have to say he was going to lead the march. There are so many young leaders from Seattle, Minneapolis, New York City, even D.C. We have young leaders who are over by the White House all the time.
Sharpton has no solutions for what is going on with policing and the criminal justice system. Just marching down Independence Avenue does not solve anything. It only garners temporary attention with the media and the public. After all the hubbub is over, the march is all but forgotten. The march is nothing but all for profit. I’ve seen people making shirts, hats for this march. Even the masks say Black Lives Matter and such. Someone is already banking on this one.
Rev. Al Sharpton should absolutely have nothing to do with this march. The new generation of young people should have been approached to lead it. He should have passed the torch to the new generation. The younger crowd has been cheated out of the chance to be given a platform for what’s really going on with the police and the criminal justice system.
