Sharpton praises mayor, police chief for quick response in case

The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks during a service at Charity Missionary Baptist Church in the wake of the death of Walter Scott, a black driver who was fatally shot by a white police officer after he fled a traffic stop, April 12, 2015, in North Charleston, S.C. The officer, Michael Thomas Slager, has been fired and charged with murder. Sharpton is expected to headline a Cleveland rally Friday about police shootings.

(David Goldman, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Rev. Al Sharpton is expected to arrive in Cleveland Friday to help draw attention to needed police reforms.

Right on. Because nobody here is talking about the issue. And the national media has failed to notice Cleveland's troubles. (For those who don't get me, I'm being sarcastic.)

The truth is that the flamboyant and opportunistic Sharpton is too late. Cleveland has been speaking up for itself for months, and in a passionate and largely peaceful way.

On Saturday, for example, demonstrators marched through the streets after the acquittal of Cleveland Police Officer Michael Brelo. He was charged with manslaughter in the 2012 deaths of Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell, who were unarmed and led police on a chase that ended in a fury of bullets. Will Sharpton recognize that our local prosecutor charged a police officer in the case, or only complain that a judge found him not guilty?

Cleveland's clergy also have been demonstrating, most recently on Tuesday, drawing hundreds to the streets.

And the City of Cleveland and U.S. Justice Department signed an agreement this week that offers hope for bringing changes to the police department. Sharpton can't contribute to this unless he wants to stick around and seek a spot on one of the civilian oversight positions created by the agreement.

Sharpton is the last person who can drive a serious discussion about the use of force and police reform. He's a drive-by civil rights leader, who grabs the spotlight around high-profile cases and then disappears.

Sharpton's National Action Network says that among those who have invited him to town are the Rev. Jawanza Colvin, pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, and Marcia McCoy, an activist who works closely with Greater Abyssinia Baptist Church and heads the local chapter of the Sharpton's organization. Sharpton is scheduled to speak at Olivet on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Around the country, families of unarmed people killed by police have welcomed him. He marched in December in Washington, D.C., with several families, including the family of Cleveland's 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed by police last November. Sharpton's National Action Network organized the march, which attracted thousands.

Sharpton insists he's only coming because others asked him to lend his voice to the cause. His press release says that he is coming to town "at the request of national and local civil rights groups and community leaders working to address criminal injustices in Cleveland."

A Washington Post profile published in February shows that Sharpton has had his eye on Cleveland since the public release of the extended video of the shooting of Tamir. (You can read that story here.) Sharpton, according the article, acknowledges he chases publicity because he can use it to harness attention and force change.

Sharpton doesn't face much competition these days. He's the best known active civil rights leader. But I just don't find him sincere. His motivation and organization have been called into question too many times.

I also have a hard time forgetting one of Sharpton's earlier visits to Cleveland, which convinced me some of his actions are hollow. In 2003, while a Democratic presidential candidate, Sharpton protested a local bank's hiring practices.

Sharpton arrived in a limousine and marched with about 40 people, most of whom were bused from Detroit. No local business or religious leaders joined the brief march. A Sharpton news release had said local leaders would participate. I don't recall hearing much from him about the local issue again.

Sharpton will no doubt get more support Friday because there are so many leaders upset by police shootings.

But if Sharpton wants to prove his sincerity, he should let Cleveland speak for itself.