Subscribe
NewsOne Featured Video
CLOSE

The Rev. Al Sharpton is used to being assailed from all sides — when he speaks to loudly on behalf of victims of race-related crime, or when he doesn’t speak up at all.

In the midst of his annual National Action Network convention in Washington, D.C., Sharpton sat down with NewsOne’s Elon James White and L. Joy Williams to discuss the ironies of being a longtime racial lightning rod.

“I’ve never fought a case where I didn’t get backlash,” Sharpton said. “Activism is a touch sport… People don’t call me because they want to keep things quiet.”

Sharpton also reveals how he selects cases to champion from the hundreds of calls he receives in the full, exclusive interview below.

Read our full National Action Network convention coverage here.

RELATED:

This Convention Is Great (And Free). You Should Be Here.

NAN: Sharpton Showcases Discussion With Trayvon Martin’s Parents