Reverend Dr. Al Sharpton

The New York Times calls him "smart, articulate, and eloquent, and anyone that has ever heard him talk from a pulpit can testify, Sharpton is a man with a heart and firm ideological beliefs." "He has a command of politics that rivals some of the great New York party bosses, and no less significant, he has an understanding of the way the press works that rivals more than a few city editors." Ever since his surrogate father, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, told him, "you can't set your sights on nothing little...you got to go for the whole hog," Reverend Al Sharpton has been doing just that. Whether it was his run for United States Senator in 1992, in which he received more votes than a sitting New York district attorney, or a prospective run for President of the United States in 2004, "The Rev" as he is affectionately called by his closest friends and supporters, has rejuvenated the Civil Rights movement while raising the bar for political participation for people of color.

 

Reverend Sharpton’s record speaks for itself. In 1999, when a young unarmed African immigrant was gunned down in the vestibule of his home by four New York City police officers, Sharpton led 1,600 people in the civil disobedience protest arrest. The throngs that followed him to jail in this protest included former mayors, congressmen and religious and community leaders across racial, ethnic, and political lines. Sharpton’s stance on behalf of the disenfranchised has taken him, in his own words, “from the streets to the suites.â€? In 1999, in a united voice with African-American advertising agencies and marketing and media outlets, he launched the “Madison Avenue Initiativeâ€? (MAI). The Madison Avenue Initiative, a program of the National Action Network…the not-for-profit civil rights organization that Sharpton founded in 1991…seeks to ensure that corporations and others doing business with advertising outlets around the country deal even-handedly with agencies, media outlets and publications run by people of color.

 

Over the past decade, Sharpton’s harshest critics have become his closest allies and supporters. Those who once shunned his outspoken position on issues affecting people of color now crowd his rallies, loudly chanting their encouragement.

 

Reverend Sharpton has been married to singer Kathy Jordan for 23 years and has two daughters, Dominique and Ashley.

Mike Papantonio organized the mass tort department at Levin, Papantonio   25 years ago when the firm undertook the battle against the asbestos industry.

 

John Morgan founded Morgan & Morgan in 1988. Today, Morgan & Morgan has over 10,000 active files in Orlando and over 6,000 active files in Tampa.

 

Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. (1937-2005), was not only America's most recognized lawyer, he was a seasoned litigator and leader in the legal profession.

 

Mark Proctor is President of Levin, Papantonio. He received his undergraduate degree from University of Florida in 1972, and his law degree from the University of Florida in 1975.

 

John Romano is past President of the Florida Justice Association, the Southeast Florida Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Civil Justice Foundation, Gold Coast Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, Palm Beach Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, and the Melvin M. Belli Society.

 

Todd Romano is a partner with the law firm of Romano Law Group in West Palm Beach, Florida. He concentrates his practice in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death and business and commercial litigation..