Activist and MSNBC host Reverend Al Sharpton defended Independent Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders over political anxiety about socialism, saying “They accused Dr. [Martin Luther] King of being a communist.”

Sanders’ self-identification as a “Democratic socialist” has led to anxiety among voters and attacks from rivals who argue it will make him a politically toxic nominee for down-ticket Democrats, but at Wednesday’s National Action Network (NAN) Ministers’ Breakfast, Rev. Al took those criticisms on while introducing the candidate.

Sharpton paused his introduction to note that “The civil rights movement always was targeted by those that would use the red scare,” and noted that civil rights activist Bayard Rustin was not allowed a public role in the March on Washington “because they said he was a communist.”

“They accused Dr. King of being a communist,” Sharpton continued, adding “Every major leader in the 60s they tried to call socialist or communist.”

“Whatever you decide to do on Saturday, do not go by those that use the socialist tag to try to separate us from what we need to do for this country,” Rev. Sharpton said. :Because we’ve been down that road before, and we are not that stupid to allow you to tell us who is what. Socialism, capitalism, all of it has not worked fairly for black folks.”

Rev. Al also defended Sanders over his recent praise of Fidel Castro, noting that Ted Koppel once pressed Nelson Mandela for working with Castro and others, and saying that “to have an assessment does not mean you are signing on to everything.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. mentioned socialism in some of his speeches — including one that Sanders paraphrased during his remarks following Rev. Al’s introduction — but did not call himself a Democratic socialist on camera repeatedly.

Watch the clip above via News 4 San Antonio.

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