Al Sharpton, Melissa Harris-Perry Clash With Cornel West

Al Sharpton and Prof. Cornel West are trading jabs over their contrasting viewpoints on President Obama — and over West's harsh attack on Sharpton's fellow MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry.

In a recent interview with Diverse magazine, West alleged that Sharpton has been soft on the Obama administration in exchange for access to the White House. "You watch his show on MSNBC and you want to say, 'Brother Al... tell the truth about the White House,' but he won't say a mumbling word," he said.

West also brought up what he felt was his negative experience with Harris-Perry from their days teaching at Princeton. He called her a "liar" among many other things.

"She's become the momentary darling of liberals, but I pray for her because she's in over her head," West said. "She's a fake and a fraud. I was so surprised how treacherous the sister was."

Sharpton and Harris-Perry have tangled over President Obama before. Sharpton and West got into a shouting match in April. West alleged that Obama has been a "mascot" for the wealthy who has done little for black Americans, while Sharpton claimed that West was demanding too much of the president.

Sharpton slapped back West's criticism of himself and Harris Perry in an interview published on Wednesday.

He sharply rebuffed the notion that he and Harris-Perry, whose new MSNBC show debuts in February, received their posts as rewards for supporting Obama, as some have alleged. "All of these conspiracy theorists need to check facts more clearly," he said.

Sharpton referenced Tavis Smiley, who frequently makes media appearances with West, to make his case. "Who rewarded Tavis Smiley with his show?" Sharpton asked. "Tavis can have a show [and] that's fine. But if Dr. [Harris] Perry [and] I have a show all of a sudden it's some kind of a conspiracy theory?...black people are not that stupid."

The MSNBC host also defended Harris-Perry as "an extremely gifted and important part of the social-political dialogue going on in this country." His advice to his colleague: "Don't look back. Keep going forward...and let the haters be haters."

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[BeingHuman1]

03:29 PM on 03/22/2012

Hey West, stick a sock in your mouth. You look like Oscar the Grouch who happened to climb out the garbage can and put on a black suit two sizes too tight, with a headband on your neck. You say words most of us may have to look up, however, most of us do know the words Dentist, Comb, Shave, Haircut. Those simple words you appear totally unfamiliar with.
Why don't you and Tavis run for a office and try to put into effect the hings you want changed. I think you will come away with a different view of what of current POTUS is up against.Yours and Tavis 15 minutes are up.

[cdwyn1960]

01:02 PM on 03/16/2012

Cornnel West and Tavis Smiley, keep it in the Black Family and not the Public. All said about the Family must be kept in the Family.

[AnimalLover6]

09:58 PM on 05/02/2012

We're all family here, regardless of race.

[frannie7]

12:36 PM on 03/16/2012

Cornnel West , Tavis Smiley is it a republican you want in office???? We know Tavis do not like our President .... Is Tavis acting like Newt towards Mitt? Cornel might be a professor, however, to see him turn on his people, unbelievable! We saw what Tavis did in 2008.

[fgr1111]

11:44 AM on 03/16/2012

Al Sharpton??? gimme a break! No more respect for MSNBC since they laid off Keith. It's just another Corruporation. And Al Sharpton might as well be in a convalescent home. He's got nothing on my man Dr. Cornel West.
Melissa Harris.... just a kiss up.

[bluehand]

10:33 AM on 03/15/2012

Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry got her own show the same way that Chris Hayes and Alex Weck got shows on MSNBC; by being a guest analyst and sub-hosting for Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O'Donnell. She was very good at it. She's brilliant, and knows how to explain complex situations without condescension. Maddow, O'Donnell, and Ed Schultz got shows this same way by being on for Olbermann.

Dr. West has ignored all of this, out of what appears to be professional jealousy.

[dhard78030]

04:24 PM on 02/21/2012

I have read a lot of comments here and my question to you all is what have you done lately? In order to do something beside just talk, you must be willing to give up something. Barrack Obama persisted and prevailed and sacrificed to attend and graduate from Harvard, serve as president of the Harvard Law Review(imagine the jealousy and prejudice he had to contend with), went back to work in poor neighborhoods in Chicago(when he could easily been making 6 figure salary or more), sacrificed and left his family for a full year to run for President of the United States, risk his life daily and risk harm to his family to serve now, championing programs now to improve education, improve employment, advocating doing what is fair-ALL OF WHICH WILL DO MORE TO REDUCE POVERTY, not only for Blacks, but for white, Asian, Hispanic, Indian(indeed all americans). So I ask again, what have you done lately? Instead of arguing with each other, Mr West, people in your position should be out helping to get the vote out - helping to encourage people to get out and vote, helping to educate them on documents required to vote in particular states.

[biznesschic]

11:16 AM on 02/16/2012

Oh please. When are we going to stop giving air time to poverty p/imps.

My faternal grandfather was a Native American college professor, who had to enter through the back of the university, to teach white students. His son, my father, was a decorated WWII officer, who couldn't command white soliders with an 8th grade education.

Dr. West, I do not sympatize with a single teenage black mother, who chooses to have children with her do/pe dealing boy friend, who already has 4 kids, just because we share the same hue. If you are so concerned about them, move them into your home.

[bkirkl2608]

08:03 PM on 02/18/2012

It's not about the mother having the 4 kids or your sterotypical boyfriend, is it? It's about the kids. They're here and if we don't care about her and him, we get to deal with them, all grown, ignorant and angry. Ignore them at your own peril.

Poverty is real and has consequences, intended and unintended. It's something we ALL need to be concerned about.You want to get rid of the "pimps"? Get rid of the povery.

[bluehand]

10:46 AM on 03/15/2012

"I do not sympatize with a single teenage black mother, who chooses to have children with her do/pe dealing boy friend, who already has 4 kids..."

I work at a major university, and have seen many students who also happen to be single mothers leave our school, with their goals met, and taking care of their children. I also have colleagues and friends who happen to be single parents, who work, pay taxes, and send their kids to college.

I don't happen to know any single mothers with dope dealing boyfriends. That must just be the crowd you run with. Either way, Rush Limbaugh would be very proud of your seething vile rhetoric.

[ShawShakeRedemp]

01:03 PM on 03/15/2012

Very well said! this biznesschic person should be shamed of him/herself!

[godsaveusfromourselves]

05:07 PM on 03/15/2012

Well, Blue, working at a major university you just wouldn't know any single mothers with dope-dealing boyfriends, would you? They don't often hang out on university campuses. Tell you what, go incognito and spend 3 months living and hanging out in east/southeast Fort Worth. You might learn something. And then consider that every city in the US has an area like that.

[bkirkl2608]

05:58 PM on 02/15/2012

That's right Al. It's only a coincidence that Obama appeared at your convention, probably the first president to do so, invites you to the White House two weeks later; embraces you, of all people, and then you go on air, explicitly stating that you will not criticize the President. And the notion that some posit that Obama is increasing opportunity "for everyone", and that's ok, because African-Americans will benefit too, is horrid.

Unfortunately, this president CAN'T AND WON'T deal with issues that affect African-Americans, for fear of being accused of being in the tank on "black" issues. He couldn't point out the historic tension between African-Americans and the police in this country without having to invite some racist cop to the White House afterward. I mean, he could, but he doesn't have the balls to take the heat. We have to rely on Jimmy Carter to identify racism in the society and the policics of this country. Any way you look at it, that's sad.

That's what I hear Dr. West, and others saying, that the President, holder of the Bully Pulpit, fails to use it to focus attention on issues he knows Caucasians don't want to hear about. That he hold that office can't be the be all and end all.

Unfortunately, a Caucasian, would feel greater lattitude to make the case that needs to be made that African-Americans remain the group most adversly affected by every downturn in society.

[FCorey]

12:02 PM on 02/18/2012

Hate to say it and I have to agree. I understand Al's position, but I don't have to agree with it 100%. He feels that if there is an entire network in FOX who is hellbent on 24hr destructive comments on the President, people can turn and watch that if they want critique.

I personally wish he would critique the presidents refusal to point out ANY Black issues that plague America and it is a shame that he hasn't, as if yet. The fact that Black unemployment has become the bottom line of unemployment, even beneath illegal immigrants, that is a problem that needs to be directly addressed BY the President and no one else. Especially Co-Author of Global 2000, Jimmy Carter, where they refer to human beings as "Bottom feeders" and "Useless Eaters".

[bkirkl2608]

07:54 PM on 02/18/2012

“That's right Al. It's only a coincidenc­e that Obama appeared at your convention­, probably the first president to do so, invites you to the White House two weeks later; embraces you, of all people, and then you go on air, explicitly stating that you will not criticize the President. And the notion that some posit that Obama is increasing opportunit­y "for everyone", and that's ok, because African-Am­ericans will benefit too, is horrid.

Unfortunat­ely, this president CAN'T AND WON'T deal with issues that affect African-Am­ericans, for fear of being accused of being in the tank on "black" issues. He couldn't point out the historic tension between African-Am­ericans and the police in this country without having to invite some racist cop to the White House afterward. I mean, he could, but he doesn't have the balls to take the heat. We have to rely on Jimmy Carter to identify racism in the society and the politics of this country. Any way you look at it, that's sad.

That's what I hear Dr. West, and others saying, that the President, holder of the Bully Pulpit, fails to use it to focus attention on issues he knows Caucasians don't want to hear about. That he hold that office can't be the be all and end all.

Unfortunat­ely, a Caucasian, would feel greater lattitude to make the case that needs to be made that African-Am­ericans remain the group most adversly affected by every downturn in society.”

[KeepNIt2Real]

01:30 PM on 02/14/2012

These folks, Sharpton, West and Harris-Perry are what you call pot stirrers. It's there job to create debates and keep dialogue going about them but never come up with real solutions...because the "problems" feed them daily.

[FCorey]

12:03 PM on 02/18/2012

I bet you say that about ALL Black journalists. Bigot.

[bluehand]

10:50 AM on 03/15/2012

I wait with baited breath for your solutions to post...

[mr whiteffolks]

07:38 AM on 02/14/2012

You tell em Dr. West ! Sharpton is like Jesse Jackson in that they both pretend to care about the plight of Black people all while lining their pockets with hush money !

[mark1966]

07:42 PM on 02/13/2012

This article doesnt make sense,why would a black man say that kind of stuff about another black man.It doesnt happen in todays world.

[threalReginald]

07:42 PM on 02/13/2012

West and Smiley are not perfect but I'm glad to see them challenge the President's record as long as they stick to the facts. If I'm going to vote him in again I want him to know that this Moderate game that he plays is not what I or most Americans wanted after the most tragic 8 years in America's recent history. I think most people wanted a complete 180 from the Bush's disastrous tenor not more of the same with a nice smile and speaking skills.

[FCorey]

12:07 PM on 02/18/2012

Agreed. The President needs to be held accountable. ALL of them need to be. That is part of the job. I do not expect him to save the Black community, that is our job, but I wouldn't mind a moment of focus on the Black unemployment and dropout rates!!!

[bluehand]

01:05 PM on 03/15/2012

I agree with some of what you say, except like so many you seem to have missed what the President has accomplished, and his skills other than speaking.

When he took office the Dems controlled both houses, and he thought he'd be able to do certain things, but he didn't get enough support from his own party in congress. Dems aren’t like Repubs; they don't stick together on votes, and allow themselves to be bullied by Repubs in congress. The President can push for certain legislation, but he can't order congress to pass it; he's not their boss.

Never before had Repubs decided they would actually oppose EVERYTHING that “this President” (what they call him), and the other side was trying to do. They’ve blocked almost every appointment to vital federal agencies, and used the filibuster 10 times more than ever before to block bills from being passed, or voted on. Add to all of this that the President did go too far tying to compromise.

The President gets criticized more than any human being alive or dead, from both the right and the left, and very little is ever said about his accomplishments, which I especially appreciate being from Detroit.

[meinmd2]

12:26 PM on 02/13/2012

Sounds like West is jealous to me and wants his own show.

[mr whiteffolks]

07:39 AM on 02/14/2012

West has no reason to be jealous of Sharpton ! West has more intelligence in his pinkie toe than Sharpton has in his entire body !

[bluehand]

01:10 PM on 03/15/2012

Prof. West appears to be jealous of his colleague, Prof M. Harris-Perry. Why else would he be saying nasty things about her? I've watched her quite often, and she's brilliant, and deserves to have a show, which she got by guest hosting and expert analyzing on Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell shows.

[fgr1111]

11:41 AM on 03/16/2012

Absoluetly! I agree.

[SOHOROCKS66]

12:58 PM on 02/14/2012

LOL! I think you are on to something there. He is probably working the room at network producers' cocktail parties and seminars like a hooker at a plumbers convention in Vegas.

[sirlawrence1]

10:57 AM on 02/13/2012

I am very disappointed in Dr. West. He is a very gifted man, but he is not using that gift for the advancement of the people who need him. Rev. Sharpton and Dr. Perry provide great insight, and political views that would otherwise be ignored. They make republicans support there comment and statements with facts. They are not soft like Wolf and John King on CNN. I watch Politics Nations daily and tell my friends who watch the program. I will watch Dr. Perry because she have the intrelligence, savy, and professionalism that has been missing from the media. Once again MSNBC is on top and being progressive.

[bluehand]

01:17 PM on 03/15/2012

Agree! Rev. Sharpton was kind of shaky at first, but he has quicly become a very good host. Like the other MSNBC shows he presents information and stories that most other media outlets are ignoring, and he is doing IMPORTANT work, just like Dr. M. Harris-Perry.

I am also disappointed in Dr. West, as he could have been a valuable guest expert on both of their shows. But his ego and jealousy was just to massive to get allow his big head through that door.

[BlacknProud310]

02:36 AM on 02/13/2012

If we just put down our pitch forks long enough to do some heavy lifting. I think both Smiley and West should run fro public office, as the President can use all of the help he can get.

We live in a world where the POTUS does not make laws, he signs them. Having a divided Congress and Senate is a large pool of unwilling participants which in turn makes the POTUS' job a truly tough one to have. But in spite of all of that I will say that I was convinced to cross the street in 2008 to vote for him and it looks as though things are heading in that direction again.

Obama 2012
www.RepublicansforObama.org (Yep, we do sure do exist!)

[IGNSTHMD]

02:58 AM on 02/13/2012

what ever happpened to the balence of power and why is the judicial branch so absent in that (non) discussion.

[BlacknProud310]

10:44 AM on 02/13/2012

Simple. Because the discussion was not designed to teach it was not meant to teach Civics.

[LandusX]

06:38 PM on 02/13/2012

www.Republ­icansforOb­ama.org (Yep, we do sure do exist!)---Stun and still in disbelief...had to see the site and it's real...Yep they do exist!!