Rev. Al Sharpton heavily criticized President Trump in an op-ed marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day, accusing his administration of “undoing the progress” of the civil rights movement and emboldening racist ideologies.
“A half-century ago King led a movement — a movement that was predicated upon securing voting rights, job opportunities, fair housing, educational opportunities, an end to racial discrimination and ending income inequality,” Sharpton in an op-ed published Monday by NBC News. “Today, in 2018, we find ourselves at a crossroads: Everything King fought so tirelessly for is under attack once again.”
{mosads}“Trump and his administration are undoing the progress that was achieved, not just by [former President] Obama, but by the civil rights movement,” Sharpton wrote.
Sharpton cited the Trump administration’s policies on health care, criminal justice reform and the environment, saying that they negatively impact communities of color.
He also pointed to recent comments Trump allegedly made at a closed-door meeting on immigration that disparaged individuals from Haiti, El Salvador and other African nations as coming from “shithole countries.” Trump has described accounts of his statements during the meeting as inaccurate. On Sunday, he refuted accusations that he is a racist.
“As his most recent comments about Haitian and African immigrants prove, Trump has no idea what it means to treat humans equally ‘no matter the color of our skin,’” Sharpton wrote, citing a quote from Trump’s address Friday commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “He also understands very little about the legacy of the man he claims to be honoring.”
Sharpton urged Americans to “take this ugly moment seriously.”
“We must remember the tremendous sacrifices of the civil rights movement, and ask ourselves: Are we truly giving our all? A situation this dire requires an equally impressive response. We must resist not only Trump, but also all those who would turn King’s dream into a nightmare,” Sharpton wrote.