MIC DROP! Al Sharpton Labels Black Youths As Low Info & Social Media Obsessed!

October 15, 2024

The Miseducation of the Negro Freedman
(Al Sharpton): Misleading American Freedmen

© Ogbonna Hagins Philly Word Magazine & Freedmen’s Journal 2.0

Al Sharpton’s recent commentary reveals a fundamental disconnect from the key issues impacting American Freedmen. During a radio show conversation, a narrative was introduced that younger so-called Black people are “low-information” and overly focused on social media.

Sharpton agreed with this perspective, but this view misrepresents today’s youth. Far from being uninformed, the younger generation is skilled at using social media to stay aware of important issues, organize for change, and decipher fact from fiction. They are not as easily distracted as the older generation might believe.

Sharpton’s real misstep lies in his failure to acknowledge the constitutional standing of American Freedmen. There should be no fight for racial justice because race itself is not a valid category under the law.

The 13th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 were created specifically to address the rights of American Freedmen, not all so-called Black people.

The Constitution is race-neutral, and yet Sharpton continually frames the struggle through a broad racial lens. By doing this, he overlooks the specific protections American Freedmen are entitled to under the law.

This miseducation dilutes the real fight for Freedmen’s rights. Instead of focusing on broad racial struggles, the focus should be on enforcing the protections promised under the 13th Amendment, which were meant to address the badges and vestiges of slavery.

The youth today are not only informed but are leading the charge to push for real change and demand that the constitutional rights of American Freedmen be fulfilled.