Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
President Obama Bros Out With Rev. Sharpton
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 7, 2011
Modified Apr 7, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 6
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 7, 2011
Modified Apr 7, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
President Obama had a busy schedule yesterday that included campaigning in Philadelphia, managing three wars, and attempting to prevent an inevitable government shutdown. But he managed to pencil in some face time for his good friend the Reverend Al Sharpton and his civil rights group, the National Action Network. Remember when Sharpton was refusing then-Senator Obama's "cajoling" and unironically accusing him of "grandstanding?" Yeah, we don't recall anything pre-bailout/apocalypse either.
In front of an audience in Midtown that included Magic Johnson, Bill Cosby, Spike Lee, Martin Luther King III and Stevie Wonder, Obama sought to assuage black voters that had become disillusioned with his performance over the last two years. According to The Daily News, the President praised the work of Sharpton's group while acknowledging that there was still a lot of work to be done: "I'm not asking you to…be satisfied with our progress—I know this isn't the National Satisfaction Network, it's the National Action Network." Hey-o! He'll be at the Borgata all next week, folks!
The Post notes that while 90% of blacks polled still support Obama, it's important that he ensures their turnout in 2012, and his increasingly cozy relationship with Sharpton, who got a "rousing slap on the back" from the president—they were all but "joined at the hip" yesterday—is evidence that he's taking those skeptical of his "blackness," seriously. Fox News takes the political appeasement metaphor even further, suggesting that Barry is "kissing Rev. Sharpton's ring." Dave Chappelle, who knows a thing or two about pimp jokes, always said that being the nation's first black president was never going to be easy.
Tagged
2012
barack obama
Dave Chapelle
national action network
Reverend Al
reverend al sharpton
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
2 men accused of stabbing off-duty NYPD detective in the Bronx plead not guilty
Sneider Mejia and D’Angelo Caraballo are both facing several charges, including attempted first-degree murder.
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:40 p.m. ET
Man who pushed his baby and her mother from a Bronx balcony arraigned from psych ward
Angel Carrasco, who shoved his infant daughter and her mother from a 15th floor balcony, appeared virtually in Bronx criminal court.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
Man who pushed his baby and her mother from a Bronx balcony arraigned from psych ward
Angel Carrasco, who shoved his infant daughter and her mother from a 15th floor balcony, appeared virtually in Bronx criminal court.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NYC looks to grow involvement in Open Streets as applications open for 2027
By
Catalina Gonella
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
By
Rosemary Misdary
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
By
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .