Book Review: "Rise Up" By Al Sharpton

 'Sharpton's critics describe him as "a political radical who is to blame, in part, for the deterioration of race relations". Conservative writer and activist David Horowitz has called Sharpton an "anti-Semitic racist", sociologist Orlando Patterson has referred to him as a racial arsonist, and liberal newspaper columnist Derrick Z. Jackson has called him the black equivalent of Richard Nixon and Pat Robertson.'

'Sharpton sees much of the criticism as a sign of his effectiveness. "In many ways, what they consider criticism is complimenting my job," said Sharpton. "An activist’s job is to make public civil rights issues until there can be a climate for change. So when people get angry at me for raising these issues and making them public, well, that’s my job! That’s what I’m supposed to do. If I could not get the public’s attention on an issue, then I’m not a good activist.'

Sharpton is more than just a preacher, a writer, a radio host, and most importantly an activist.

He's what many consider their voice when they have non in a world full of hostility, anger, and division.

We are in unchartered waters at the present time so much so that I've looked for books that I could seek value and bring some much needed vision to these horrific and unstable times.

This was just such a book that created that need to get out and not only vote but do so in a way that sows seeds of unity.

While I may not ever live long enough to see the reparations come to fruition I do hope we can come together as a country and discuss the matter openly and honestly and find mutual ground to stand together upon.

While it's a great disgrace that we have a man in office that cannot bring us together I do hope we can join hands with respect to Black Lives Matter, Me Too Movement, Women's Rights, and so much more.

We have a long way to go in this country to achieve what our founders asked in, "E Pluribus Unum" as our hearts are broken, lives have been destroyed, pandemics are upon us, and nobody seems to care other than in achieving success via corrupt ways and means.

Money should never be the catch all for American citizens lives.

We cannot put profit over people.

It's such a dog eat dog world that we cannot forget those who are suffering in real time who need our help.

Reach out, stand tall, walk the walk (a mile in her shoes) for women's shelters, be the light for the homeless, feed the poor, and for god's sake stop the injustices.

I speak to you not from an unknown place as I have spent the latter part of 20 yrs helping others who are just like me : bankrupt, homeless, LT unemployed with a dual masters, unable to get employed as told over/underqualified as a 20 yr homemaker of 3 and volunteer.

This is the same America that awarded me the Points of Light Award from our 41st President but who has turned their back on me in terms of being employable and giving me a chance to prove myself to the world.

This is insane and we are running this train right off the tracks.

How can we have so many graduate level job seekers unable to achieve living wages and are now forced into poverty without health care?

How can it be that we have police putting their knees upon a black man's neck and killing him in plain site?

What kind of world will our children have when we tell them this is not coming from a third world country but rather from the greatest country in the world?

How can we ignore climate change as being real when we have states literally on fire, when we have rapid detioration and erosion of our beaches, when we have states literally going further below sea level?

What have we become?

It's sickening to think as a mother, a feminist, a writer, a speaker, and a recipient who has received the highest accomodation our nation offers for public service to our country that this here is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!