Sharpton talks to House of Joy
Recalls civil rights struggles that led to Obama nomination
By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published August 24, 2008 at 3:33 p.m.
Updated August 24, 2008 at 5:20 p.m.
Ellen Jaskol © The Rocky
The Rev. Al Sharpton preaches today during the 11 a.m. service at the House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church, 3082 Leyden St. in Denver.
Sharpton listens to the praise team sing before giving a sermon at the House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church. Singing at left is Carolyn Beechum, wife of the church's pastor, Ralph Beechum, and Brianne Bryant, center.
The Rev. Al Sharpton Jr. told a black church congregation in Denver today that Barack Obama's candidacy culminates decades of struggle and sacrifice by civil rights activists.
Sharpton was the guest speaker at the House of Joy Miracle Deliverance Church at 3082 Leyden St. He told about 125 members of the church that he stopped by on the advice of former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb.
"My friend and brother Wellington Webb told me that you are not going to have a good week in Denver unless you go by the House of Joy first," Sharpton quipped to an audience of 125 church-goers during the music-filled morning service.
Sharpton is in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, where he described Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's presidential nomination as a historic event. He noted that Obama's acceptance speech will come on the 45th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech.
Obama's candidacy, Sharpton said, is the achievement of part of King's speech, an America in which a person's merit was not determined by the color of their skin.
"One thing Dr. King meant by that was that I would rather have a president be right rather than just be my color," Sharpton said. "I'd rather have a white president do right than a black one do wrong."
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August 24, 2008
4:49 p.m.
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uglyred08 writes:
I'm glad to see the Good Rev. Sharpton on top of things in Denver!
August 24, 2008
7:13 p.m.
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HopiMedicineMan writes:
Race-baiting is a high paying industry. Trouble is, everyone loses but the race-baiter, and especially the race loses. REMOVES THEIR PRIDE FOREVER. Would you rather be an eagle or a crow?