NEW YORK (AP) — With supporters cheering and standing at attention, the Rev. Al Sharpton stepped into the newly renovated home of the National Action Network in Harlem recently to make a significant announcement: after more than two decades, his organization has gone from tenant to property owner.
The celebration took place inside a cozy theater at the new headquarters, where NAN board members, local clergy, and close allies had gathered for an invite-only reception.
“I want to make something permanent,” Sharpton told the crowd. “When people see that you’ve bought a building, they say, ‘Wait a minute, they’re not going nowhere.’”
The organization’s new permanent base is located in what was formerly the Faison Firehouse Theater on Hancock Place, near the corner of 124th Street and Manhattan Avenue. The building had been purchased in 1999 by George Faison, a Tony Award-winning choreographer best recognized for his work on the original 1970s Broadway production of “The Wiz,” who converted it into a community theater.
According to Sharpton, when Faison faced the decision of selling the property in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, he chose NAN over a large real estate developer.
Speaking with The Associated Press from his new private office, which features large windows with views of central Harlem, Sharpton explained his reasoning for the multimillion dollar purchase.
“I’m 71 years old — if I was just trying to do it as an Al Sharpton personal fan club, I could just keep renting,” he said. “I’m buying it to show I want this to be an institution. I want it to last beyond me.”
The building’s renovation is structurally finished and its rooms are up and running, though Sharpton said he expects his weekly Saturday rallies to return to the new location this summer.
NAN was founded in 1991 and initially held meetings at P.S. 175, a Manhattan elementary school, during the tenure of the late David Dinkins, New York City’s first Black mayor. The organization later rented space at 125th Street and Madison Avenue, then moved in 2006 to a rented location at 145th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, which served as its home until January.
That former headquarters had been dubbed the “House of Justice” by Sharpton’s late mentor, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Working out of Harlem over the years, Sharpton became a prominent voice in direct-action protests on behalf of Black men who were killed, brutalized, or persecuted by New York City police — including Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, the exonerated men once known as the Central Park Five, and Eric Garner, among others.
“Harlem means home,” Sharpton told the AP.
The newly purchased and renovated five-floor building now carries the name “House of Justice Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Workshop.” Sharpton said he plans to invite artists for salons, poetry readings, and jazz nights — a nod to the cultural and intellectual spirit of the Harlem Renaissance.
Reflecting on both NAN’s history and today’s political climate during the reception, Sharpton struck a serious tone.
“We are in trouble,” he said, pointing to redistricting battles sparked by a recent Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
“We don’t have, in my opinion, the luxury of not nailing down and working together,” he added.
Over the years, the NAN headquarters has become a required stop for Democratic candidates running for offices ranging from the presidency to local positions. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the House of Justice is typically packed wall to wall with dignitaries. And following the 2006 death of James Brown — Sharpton’s childhood hero — the horse-drawn carriage carrying the Godfather of Soul’s golden casket made a stop outside the 145th Street location.
The organization’s Saturday rallies have also provided a platform for families affected by police violence and for celebrities speaking out about inequities in the entertainment world.
Ashley Sharpton, the younger of the reverend’s two daughters, grew up around the House of Justice. She and her older sister, Dominique Sharpton-Bright, were present the day the late pop icon Michael Jackson visited and addressed the crowd at their father’s invitation.
“The magic was palpable,” Ashley recalled.
Today, as founder and director of NAN’s youth initiatives, Ashley said she feels a deeper personal investment in the organization’s future.
“It’s time for us to step in and take ownership, literally, of what is needed to maintain the legacy, and to continue the fight,” she told the AP.
