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REV. AL SHARPTON TO MARK 70TH BIRTHDAY IN LOS ANGELES AT STAR-STUDDED CELEBRATION WITH APPEARANCES BY CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER AND ANTHONY ANDERSON
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Event to Recognize Careers of Smokey Robinson and Ken Sunshine; Also Serve as Fundraiser for NAN’s Ongoing, Non-Partisan Get Out the Vote Efforts Ahead of Crucial 2024 Elections
New York, NY (October 16, 2024) – Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), will be celebrated at a star-studded 70th birthday party in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 31st, featuring an appearance by Earvin “Magic” and Cookie Johnson. The event at the Fairmont Century Plaza will help support NAN’s non-partisan Get Out the Vote campaign, which seeks to activate the organization’s more than 100 chapters on the importance of showing up for the 2024 elections.
“I am honored to join a group of personal friends, who have long supported NAN, as we mark my 70th birthday this month,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN. “After a strong showing at the Triumph Awards in New York City last week, I know this event will help future NAN’s work to inform Black voters across the nation what’s at risk when they stay home and what’s possible when they turn out at the polls. I especially want to thank Magic Johnson and Robert F. Smith for putting this event together, as they have worked with us for decades on expanding business opportunities for Black and Brown Americans.”
Rev. Sharpton will recognize several key figures at the event who have contributed to the Civil Rights Movement throughout their careers. Smokey Robinson, the legendary recording artist and a founding father of Motown Records, and Ken Sunshine, a veteran public relations strategist and long-term political activist, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Rev. Sharpton for their work to advance social justice.
Last week, NAN kicked off Rev. Sharpton’s 70th birthday celebrations in New York City at the 2024 Triumph Awards. The annual ceremony recognizes those in entertainment, advocacy, and other fields who use their platform to advance social change. This year’s honorees included Grammy Award-winning artist Gladys Knight; actor, producer, and director Robert De Niro; nine-time Grammy Award-winning musician Wynton Marsalis; and advocate and philanthropist Carolyn “Cookie” Mason. Rev. Sharpton discussed the impact of the Triumph Awards as well as his own milestone birthday on NY1’s Inside City Hall ahead of the event.
Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson will serve as co-host for the Los Angeles event. The evening will bring together some of the most important leaders on the West Coast, such as former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, a managing partner at Actum, and former Los Angeles Mayor and current California Gubernatorial Candidate Antonio Villaraigosa. The event will also bring Rev. Sharpton together with Anderson, who earlier this year hosted the NAN Keepers of the Dream Awards – the signature event at the organization’s annual convention held every year in New York City. The Black-ish star is also set to portray Rev. Sharpton in a miniseries based on The Redemption of Al Sharpton, an Esquire magazine profile by Pulitzer Prize-winner Mitchell S. Jackson published earlier this year.
WHO
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of NAN
Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Cookie Johnson
Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners
Smokey Robinson, singer-songwriter, producer, and founding father of Motown Records
Ken Sunshine, veteran public relations strategist and long-term political activist
Anthony Anderson
Cedric the Entertainer
Fabian Núñez, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and Managing Partner of Actum
Antonio Villaraigosa, former Mayor of Los Angeles
Sylvia Rhone, Chair and CEO of Epic Records
WHERE
Fairmont Century Plaza
2025 Avenue of the Stars,
Los Angeles, CA 90067
WHEN
Thursday, October 31, 2024
About National Action Network (NAN)
National Action Network is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Nation with chapters throughout the entire United States. Founded in 1991 by Reverend Al Sharpton, NAN works within the spirit and tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to promote a modern civil rights agenda that includes the fight for one standard of justice, decency, and equal opportunities for all people regardless of race, religion, nationality, or gender.
For more information go to www.nationalactionnetwork.net