Al Sharpton compares VP Kamala Harris to biblical Queen Esther as she warns against conservatives

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Friday, April 14, 2023

NEW YORK — Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton compared Vice President Kamala Harris to the biblical Queen Esther, who helped save the Jewish people from execution, as she advocated for gun control, a more inclusive democracy and urged the public not to fall for what she described as the conservative "okey-doke" on Friday.

Speaking on the penultimate day of the  National Action Network Convention to remember the legacy of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated in April 55 years ago, Sharpton warned “right-wing” critics that their attacks against Harris wouldn’t work because, like Esther, she was “built for this."

“I read in the Bible a story of a lady named Esther. Esther found herself having access to the head of state, she got that access much differently than our keynote speaker today, but both of them ended up having direct access in different ways to the head of state. Some of the comfort we have is knowing that we have somebody sitting next to the head of state that can plead the case of those of us that did not have the access to plead that case for ourselves,” Sharpton said.

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“She, like Esther, … was prepared for this because Esther had an uncle that sent word to her in the White House at that time, saying, maybe you have come for such a time as this. And I say to you today that you on the right wing can take whatever shots you want. You can come [with] whatever fabricated rationale you have against this vice president,” he said. “She was built for this. She was born for this. She was raised for this. She can take every shot you shoot because she [has] been through shots worse than this. She’s tough enough, she’s strong enough, maybe she’s come for such a time as this.”

Harris, who took the stage at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel to strong applause from NAN supporters, praised King’s ability to “understand the present moment in the context of a vision for a better future.” She then proceeded to define “the moment we are in,” touching on contentious debates surrounding issues such as abortion, LGBT advocacy, voting, racial and economic justice, and public safety.

“[It is] a moment in which our hard-won freedoms are under attack. … Just look at where we are. Extremists across our country attack the freedom to vote. They ban books to attempt to erase America’s full history. They attack the ability of people to love openly with pride. They attack the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body instead of the government. They attack medication that for 20 years the FDA ruled as being safe,” she said, before attacking Florida’s recent ban on most abortions after six weeks gestation as extreme.

“Just yesterday, in Florida, extremists there signed a six-week ban before most women even know they’re pregnant,” she said.

“And NAN, isn’t it interesting that in the midst of all these attacks on fundamental freedoms, the so-called leaders dare to tell us they are fighting for our freedoms. Don’t you find that interesting?” she asked, taking a dig at Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “Freedom Blueprint” to elect more conservative leaders to counter leftist ideology.

Harris dismissed the “Freedom Blueprint” as the "okey-doke” and urged the culturally conservative NAN supporters not to fall for it.

“Some have gone so far as to name and brand their agenda the ‘Freedom Blueprint.’ Don’t fall for the okey-doke. Don’t fall for the okey-doke, because as we know, freedom, well it doesn’t censor books; freedom doesn’t criminalize doctors and punish women; freedom does not turn off a microphone when an elected leader is speaking,” she said referencing the incident that led to the expulsions of Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson, two black Democratic Tennessee legislators after they joined protesters who stormed the state Capitol building two weeks ago with a bullhorn and disrupted the floor session. The protest was against gun violence, in general, after a trans-identified shooter killed six people, including three children, at The Covenant School run by the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville. 

“As Dr. King made clear, freedom includes the ability of all people to fully exercise their rights. Rights that generations of Americans bled and died for, rights that the people in the very room continue to march and fight for,” Harris said. “That is our nation’s ‘Freedom Blueprint’ and that is what we stand for and I do believe that when we know what you stand for. You know what you fight for.”

Both Harris and Sharpton both expressed outrage that the National Rifle Association was hosting its annual convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the same time that NAN was fighting for “our children and all people to be free from gun violence.”

“So just think, in our country already in the 104 days this year, there have been more than 150 ... shootings. Already, just think. You seen the statistics? Gun violence is now the No. 1 cause of death of children in our nation. And a heartbreaking 1 in 5 Americans has lost a family member to gun violence. And you know, while violence impacts all communities in devastating ways, we know it does not do so equally,” Harris said.

“Black people are only 13% of America’s population but more than 60% of homicide victims from gun violence. Meanwhile, as Rev. said, we speak here while the NRA is holding its convention in Indiana. Now you know what they called it? They have called it a ‘freedom-filled weekend,'” she added. “So, we must ask, freedom filled for who exactly? Cause it’s not for the parents who pray that their children will come home from school safe from a classroom in Uvalde or Nashville.”

Touching on the expulsion of the Tennessee legislators, Harris said activism for a more inclusive democracy in the United States will not stop until every voice is heard.

“I see there’s a lot of cameras here so I’ll say this, for everyone watching please be clear, the voices of students, parents, teachers and preachers will not be silenced. And these voices must be heard,” she said. “They will not be discouraged or deterred even if using a bullhorn becomes necessary.”