Elections

Bernie Sanders meets with Al Sharpton in Harlem

By William Douglas

wdouglas@mcclatchydc.com

February 10, 2016 05:32 PM

The Rev. Al Sharpton talks with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. as they sit down for a breakfast meeting at Sylvia's Restaurant, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. Sanders defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary.
The Rev. Al Sharpton talks with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. as they sit down for a breakfast meeting at Sylvia's Restaurant, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. Sanders defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary. Richard Drew AP
The Rev. Al Sharpton talks with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. as they sit down for a breakfast meeting at Sylvia's Restaurant, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York. Sanders defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary. Richard Drew AP
WASHINGTON

Bernie met Al at Sylvia’s Wednesday but an endorsement wasn’t on the menu.

Fresh off his New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary victory, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., met with The Rev. Al Sharpton at Sylvia’s, the iconic Harlem soul food eatery, in a session that generated a lot of media buzz but no backing from Sharpton - at least not yet.

Sharpton, an MSNBC host and head of the National Action Network, told reporters after the meeting that he and Sanders discussed the lead-tainted water situation in Flint, Mich., police brutality, and affirmative action.

The meeting ended without an endorsement from Sharpton. He said he’ll make his choice after Sanders meets with the leaders of national civil rights groups.

"I have not made an endorsement and will not until after that meeting," Sharpton said, according to Politico. "Probably after that meeting, I will."

Sanders is aggressively courting African-American voters, a bloc that’s heavily leaning toward Clinton, according to polls. Last week, he received an endorsement from former NAACP President Ben Jealous. 　

William Douglas: 202-383-6026, @williamgdouglas

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