9781422277751

Upheaval in his family life forced Al and his mother to a low-income housing project in Brooklyn in 1964.

FAMILY UPHEAVAL Right before Sharpton turned 10, his middle-class lifestyle changed drastically. His half sister, Ernestine, who everyone called Tina, admitted to having an affair with Al’s father. (Tina was his mother’s daughter from a marriage before she married Sharpton Sr.) Moreover, Tina was pregnant with Al’s father’s baby. When the revelation occurred, both she and his father moved out. In one fell swoop, Al lost his father, a sister, and the baby who would be both his younger brother and nephew (and was born looking just like Al). Because Al and hismother also lost the family income, they were forced tomove from Hollis, Queens, to the low-income housing projects in Brownsville, Brooklyn. His family went on welfare while his mother looked for work. When his mother filed for child support, his father countered that he should not have to pay because his son was earning money as a preacher. Sharpton says he was making money every week, but the amount could fluctuate from $10 to $100.

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C I V I L R I GH T S L E A D E R S : A L S H A R P TON