As the multitude assembled inside the National Action Network headquarters in Harlem and the free meals were churned out with stunning efficiency and quickness, Paterson praised Sharpton’s relentless community advocacy by saying Sharpton is “doing for justice what Tiger Woods did for cocktail waitresses.”
The room roared with nervous laughter, with some covering their mouths and buckling their eyes in shock at the timing and taste of Paterson’s line of joking.
Sharpton retorted that he appreciated the comments but added, “I don’t know how Tiger feels about it,” inciting a new round of howls. “Don’t worry, governor; I got your back if Tiger comes to Harlem looking for you.”
After the preliminaries were complete, the food flowed with the jokes that included vegetables, rolls, ham, pasta, shrimp salads and soft drinks. Reverie took over after the meals were served as classic Michael Jackson and other old school tunes blared from the speakers. Sharpton even got into the mix with the admiring crowd, dancing with his daughters and rocking the corner of 145th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard in Upper Manhattan.
And, of course, a good birthday celebration is incomplete without an impromptu Soul Train line. And a Sharpton event of any kind is never complete without his never-ending fight for equality and justice in America proclamation, for which he’s beloved in this economy-ravaged community. – terry shropshire
