Q: What is Al Sharpton’s religious background?
—Fred J. Haley Sr., Cumming
A: Sharpton, who grew up in Queens and Brooklyn, preached his first sermon when he was 4 years old, but dropped out of Brooklyn College in 1975 and never attended seminary. "I remember taking all my sister's dolls and lining them up in my mother's bedroom and preaching to them, just as I'd seen our pastor, Bishop Frederick Douglass Washington, do at church," Sharpton wrote in his book, "Go and Tell Pharaoh."
He toured with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson when he was 7 and was ordained as a Pentecostal minister when he was 10 years old, earning the nickname “The Wonderboy.” Sharpton told Newsweek in 2010 that he identifies as a Baptist. He was active in Civil Rights work in the late 1960s and early ’70s, and was an assistant and tour manager for James Brown from 1973 to 1980.
Q: After 46 years with CBS News, Bob Schieffer recently announced he’ll retire this summer. Do you have an address where I can contact him?
—Scott MacLean, Forest Park
A: You can write to Schieffer at "Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer," 2020 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Schieffer, 78, the anchor of "Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer," has said he's retiring after nearly 50 years with CBS. He's been the host of the show since 1991. "It's been a great adventure … I couldn't have asked for a better life or something that was more fun and more fulfilling," Schieffer said when he announced his retirement earlier this month.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We'll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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