Filed under: Dr. Boyce Money, News
I don't get as many calls for help as Rev. Al Sharpton, but I get my fair share. The most difficult thing about receiving these requests is that you want to help everyone, but are constantly struggling to find the resources to get the job done. If you ask for help to pay the cost of the trip, people think you're somehow trying to swindle them or earn an unnecessary profit from the work you do. The truth is that everybody's got bills to pay and the bigger your name, the more people think you're made of money.
I thought about this when I read about the peculiar attack on Rev. Al Sharpton in the New York Daily News. Among many misleading statements made by the paper, they mentioned the fact that Sharpton paid himself $250,000 last year while his organization, The National Action Network, was still in debt.
First, when a man must purchase several plane tickets, hotel rooms and rental cars every week in order to do work around the country, $250,000 is not nearly enough to handle all necessary financial obligations. To do his work in the community, Rev. Sharpton keeps a travel schedule that would put a high-ranking Obama Administration official to shame. The difference is that he doesn't have the financial backing of the U.S. government to pay for it.
Secondly, the New York Daily News failed to mention the fact that Sharpton turned around and loaned $200,000 of the $250,000 right back to the organization. The omission of such an important fact is either indicative of a secondary agenda or faulty journalism on the part of the Daily News, I'm not sure which one. They also failed to mention that while Sharpton does scores of speaking engagements every year, he has donated nearly all of his speaking fees right back to the organization. I'm not sure how much Sharpton earns per year in his speeches, but I do know that the amount is substantial.
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Finally, we must ask ourselves why it is somehow criminal for Rev. Sharpton to receive compensation for his outstanding work. All of us are paid to do our jobs, because we need the money. We have to pay our mortgages, car notes, tuition for our children, etc. For some reason, we believe that those in positions of prominence don't have bills like the rest of us. So, the next time you call Rev. Sharpton or anyone else to help with an issue in your community, I encourage you to take a collection from all concerned citizens that will help him to cover the costs of the trip, as well as pay a few of the massive bills he probably has waiting at home.
Generally speaking, the attack on Rev. Sharpton by the New York Daily News is a reminder that our black organizations need to be financially supported by all of us. If we expect the NAACP or National Action Network to show up when we have political, social or personal problems, we must also show up when they have financial problems. These groups cannot do their jobs without our help, and men like Al Sharpton are not made of money. It's a grind out there for everyone, and the struggle can be greatest at the top.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.