Sharpton Sounds Alarm on Feds Targeting Wealthy Black Icons
Low-key, this federal angle on high-profile Black figures feels like a plot twist you didn’t see coming. Reverend Al Sharpton, speaking to TMZ on June 19 in New York City, argued that race, wealth and fame often turn affluent Black people into prime targets for federal scrutiny. He pointed to the ongoing federal criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs and the recent sexual-assault lawsuit against Tyler Perry as textbook cases where status and skin color collide under the Justice Department microscope.
Sharpton didn’t mince words: “For as long as this country has been around, wealthy, prominent Black folks have been targeted because the feds see them as easy targets,” he told TMZ, echoing concerns first raised in a viral online thread. According to Reuters, the media uproar around Diddy’s trial and Perry’s lawsuit has reignited debates over racial bias in federal investigations. Sharpton stressed he’s not advocating an uncritical defense—he urged everyone to weigh the evidence in each case—but he warned that this demographic often gets little benefit of the doubt.
He then walked through historical flashpoints, referencing high-profile investigations of Black luminaries that, he said, were steeped in “more than just a search for truth.” Civil-rights stalwarts like Fannie Lou Hamer faced FBI limelight in the 1960s, he noted, and modern figures such as Colin Kaepernick have reported extensive federal monitoring. These examples, Sharpton argued, show a pattern beyond coincidence—one that extends back decades. CNN’s analysis of declassified FBI files corroborates his point that federal interest has often tracked closely with the rise of prominent Black voices.
Talking specifics, Sharpton highlighted that Diddy’s witnesses and Tyler Perry’s legal docs deserve close reading, so no one brushes off genuine allegations. Yet he maintained that both men must battle an extra layer of suspicion because they’re celebrated Black achievers. “If you’re rich and Black, there’s this invisible target painted on your back,” he said, per TMZ.
On the eve of Juneteenth, Sharpton also reflected on the holiday’s current clout. He said recent protests and renewed calls for racial justice have amplified Juneteenth beyond a date on the calendar. This year’s celebrations, he observed, carry an undercurrent of federal recognition and grassroots energy—fueling a collective sense that the struggle for true freedom is unfinished.
Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, Reuters
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
