Al Sharpton: The Root Of The Matter

Beautifully illustrating the point that no dialogue can be had in this country concerning race without s*it spinning out of control comes the news that Al Sharpton is recieving death threats for his role in the firing of radio personality Don Imus:

“We have no way of knowing the seriousness of these threats, but they have intensified greatly in the last two days as Rev. Sharpton was figured prominently in the firing of Don Imus,” Attorney Charlie King said in a statement early Saturday morning. “Since Rev. Sharpton survived a personal assassination attempt where he was stabbed, we take any and all threats, especially at this volume, very serious.

Death threats? For reals? Over a cowboy on the radio? Like he was Martin Luther King taking a real stance and risk? Jesus H. Christ, what the f*ck is going on here? You know, I bet you a case of Afro-Sheen this wouldn’t seem so bizarre if Al didn’t still sport the James Brown perm as the antithesis to nappy:

n 1981, Brown was invited to the White House to meet Ronald Reagan, who, at the time, was considering a national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Brown told Sharpton he wanted him to come along. But before he took Sharpton to the White House, he first took him to his hairdresser, who permed Sharpton’s afro. “He said, `I want [Reagan] to see a younger version of me when he sees you,’” Sharpton recalls. “After I did it, he said he wanted me to keep my hair like that until he died, as our bond. So that’s how I ended up with this hairstyle. Later, it became a trademark for me. But people never understood that it is a personal thing between James and me. Even when he got into trouble and went to jail, he would call me every other day and say, `Rev., you holding up with your hair?’”

Well James Brown is dead and I don’t feel so good myself. I’m just gonna go pull a Britney before anyone tries to shut me down because I have the audacity to blow my curls straight. There’s also a witticism to be made with roots, hair etc. I just can’t think of anything.