Reverend Al Sharpton
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THE POLITICS ISSUE F/W 2020 THE BIRTH OF THE COOL Celebrating Miles Davis RRIISSEE UUPP!! RREEVVEERREENNDD AALL HOUSE OF CARDIN KADIR NELSON SHARPTON SHEPARD FAIREY SHARPTON ART NOW AFTER HOURS By Allison Kugel YRB ENDORSES JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS think less, live more 09 Editor's Note 14 Reverend Al Sharpton 23 Voting in a Pandemic 44 #VinylBase 46 Busta Rhymes 56 Birth Of The Cool YRB ENDORSES JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS YRB MAGAZINE | 06 yrbmag.com Editor-in-chief Jonn Nubian Creative Director Dominic Guerrero Executive Producer Nubiano Roubini Photo Director Micheal Evans Production Director Guillermo Wilkins Senior Editor Judith Wong Music Editor Alma Myers Design Director Patti Lawrence Digital Director Gerard Hernandez Art Curator Robin King Advertising Director Heather Wilkins Senior Editorial Assistant Fiona Graham Editorial Assistant Gina Rodgers Art Director Wesley Sherman Deputy Photo Editor Peter Parker Photo Assistant Jenny Murphy Senior Designer Josephine Vasquez Interns Gustavo Becker, Noah Scott Researchers Terrell Parker, Don Silva Contributing Writers Allison Kugel Contributing Photographers Michael Frost, Jamie McCarthy,Drew Angerer Herman Leonard, Timothy A. Clary Jonathan Ernst Pool, Lauren Cowart, Carlos Sanfer, Jules Beau EDI TORI AL OFFI CE N 40° 46' 59.016", W 73° 58' 16.4964" +1.646.883.0018 | [email protected] YRB is published by Blackwell Media Group yrbmag.com THE POLITICS ISSUE @yrbmagazine VOTE 41 Editor's Note 2020 has taught us to cherish everything we took for granted before the pandemic. I also learned that everything is political. The late Fred Hampton said it best... 53 14 "We understood that politics is nothing but war without bloodshed and ON THE COVER: Reverend Al Sharpton war is nothing but politics with bloodshed." Interview by: Allison Kugel Photographer: Michael Frost Art: African American Flag by David Hammons November 3, 2020 is a very important day for this country. Digital rendering by oren neu dag Please VOTE! YRB Magazine is a lifestyle publication that focuses on fashion, music, art, and related cultural subjects. 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YRB MAGAZINE | 09 yrbmag.com what's inside fall / winter 2020 23 THE ELECTION EDITORIAL Early voting in a pandemic 34 CHRISTINE SUN KIM Why Doubt My Experience? 36 SHEPARD FAIREY Continues Manufacturing Quality Dissent 38 ANIME, TRAUMA AND DIVORCE The new album by Open Mike Eagle 41 KADIR NELSON The artist unveiled his bronze sculpture “The MAJOR” at the World Trade Center 46 EXTINCTION LEVEL EVENT 2: THE WRATH OF GOD Busta Rhymes gives the world an incredible sequel 49 HOUSE OF CARDIN We sat down with the filmmakers of this fascinating documentary along with Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin, nephew of Pierre Cardin prior to the premiere of the film in New York City 63 ART NOW AFTER HOURS Vote with your Brain and your HeART YRB MAGAZINE | 12 yrbmag.com HOW CAN I PROTECT MYSELF AGAINST COVID-19? Wash your hands frequently Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth Avoid crowded places and put space between yourself and others Cough or sneeze into your bent elbow or a tissue If you have fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, seek care early. Call beforehand and follow medical advice. SOURCE: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION YRB MAGAZINE | 14 yrbmag.com AL SHARPTON TALKS MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIS PLACE AT THE CENTER OF CIVIL RIGHTS By Allison Kugel For many Black Americans, he is next to a As the years progressed, though the He is referring to victims' families who Messiah. For many non-Black Americans, American civil rights movement has have been helped by Sharpton's National he is thought to be an agitator, riling up remained something of a moving target, Action Network (NAN), providing already uncomfortable societal quagmires much of the fight has landed at Reverend everything from the media attention these that are better left swept under the rug. Al Sharpton's doorstep. Families of victims families need to pressure prosecutors to Media image aside, Reverend Al Sharpton of police brutality, fatal racial take action towards justice, to gaining the is neither of these things. The boy raised discrimination and other hate crimes attention of congress for policy reform, as by a single mother in working class come to him in their quest to gain the well as emotional and financial support in Queens, New York, developed a passion for media attention they need to enact some instances. Now, with his new book, civil rights activism as a pre-teen. He criminal justice and legislative reform on Rise Up: Confronting A Country At The began marching alongside Reverend behalf of their loved ones. The powerless Crossroads, Reverend Al Sharpton outlines and other prominent civil and voiceless look to Reverend Sharpton Jesse Jackson his unrelenting position on the weightiest rights activists at the tender age of to get their voices heard. As Sharpton, political and societal issues of our time, thirteen, seeking to progress the legacy of himself, put it to me during our recounts some hard lessons learned, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of conversation, "People have called me an offers an inside glimpse into the mentors civil disobedience and taking the high ambulance chaser, but we are the who shaped the man we see today. Most road to equal rights under the law for ambulance." importantly, Reverend Sharpton outlines Black Americans. his plan for an America at the crossroads. YRB MAGAZINE | 15 Alison Kugel: In light of recent news in the Breonna Taylor case (no criminal charges were filed in her death), what was your first reaction when you heard that decision? Reverend Al Sharpton: It was alarming, but not surprising. I didn’t have confidence in this investigation, because of the obvious policies of the prosecutor. The prosecutor guides the grand jury and there is nobody in there besides the prosecutor. This prosecutor is a protégé of Mitch McConnell. I did not think that he was going to do anything. I did feel that the indictment of the other officer, [Brett] Hankison, for the endangerment of everybody but Breonna was just as offensive. What they are saying is that he was reckless in who he was shooting at and putting others at risk. What about who they shot, and her being at risk? It is one of the reasons why we do what we do, in saying there needs to be new laws. We just had a big march with tens of thousands of us, three weeks ago. Among two of the things we wanted are The George Floyd Policing and Justice Act that sat in the House, but the Senate hasn’t taken it up. It would strengthen the laws that would have eliminated the no knock laws and put this whole thing in a different perspective. That's one of the things I talk about that in this new book. YRB MAGAZINE | 16 alsharptonbooks.com Allison Kugel: Many people believe that you just show up Allison Kugel: What you are saying is actually a great wherever the action and media attention is. It's important for life lesson. Nobody anoints you. Nobody taps you on the people to know that you and your National Action Network head and says, "You are the chosen one." It has to come (NAN) are the ones who work to bring national attention to these from within, and a person takes it upon themselves to cases in the first place. For example, it was your organization, NAN, take the ball and run with it. That applies to anything in that brought national attention to Trayvon Martin's murder and to life. George Floyd's murder. Without your hard work, the world wouldn't know the names Trayvon Martin or George Floyd. Reverend Al Sharpton: Absolutely, and you will only do Why isn't this common knowledge? it if it comes from inside. If I sat down and asked somebody if they would go through what I went Reverend Al Sharpton: A lot of the media just doesn’t say it. Ben through… I’ve done 90 days in jail at one time. Who Crump (Attorney for the Floyd family) and the families have said it. would apply for that? But if it is in you, you take it as it In fact, Breonna Taylor’s mother's first interview was on my show comes because your commitment and your beliefs are (MSNBC's "PoliticsNation"). They couldn’t get a national show bigger than whatever it is you are going to face. before my show. Sybrina Fulton (Trayvon Martin's mother) wrote But this is not a career move. I started to write when I about it her book on Trayvon. Ben Crump brought them to New was 12, I started preaching before that, and I became York to ask me to blow up Trayvon [in the media]. Trayvon had youth director under Jesse and Reverend William Jones been buried for 2 weeks. I didn’t even know about Trayvon until when I was 13. When I was 13 years old, I didn’t sit they came and met with me in my office.