The Rev. Al Sharpton will speak Feb. 8 about racism and politics in America at a free public event presented by the University of Colorado at Boulder's student-run Cultural Events Board.
Sharpton's presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom in the University Memorial Center on the CU-Boulder campus. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to arrive early because there will be no reserved seating.
Born in 1954 to a middle-class family in Brooklyn, New York, Sharpton lived in Queens during his youth. He preached his first sermon at the age of four and by age 10 was a licensed, ordained minister.
He is considered an outspoken fighter for social justice and has been a representative for underrepresented groups in American society over the last 40 years. A political and civil rights activist, Sharpton has become known as a powerful orator. In 2004 he sought the Democratic Party nomination for president.
Sharpton's visit to CU-Boulder, presented by the Cultural Events Board, is in celebration of Black History Month. The board is part of the University of Colorado Student Union, which is supported by student fees.