“I don’t care what degree you got. If you don’t have a degree of courage, you won’t get to use the degree you got.” 

Rev. Al Sharpton returned to Howard University’s campus to deliver impassioned remarks on “fighting giants” during the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel’s “Call to Chapel” event Aug. 24.  

In the Call to Chapel service, Rev. Sharpton addressed the large audience that filled the Cramton Auditorium, advising them to stand up to their “personal giants,” as well as those “societal giants” confronting our daily lives. Shaping his message around verse 26 of the 17th chapter of the first Book of Samuel (1 Samuel, 17:26), the reverend rallied those in attendance to stand up against injustices. He used the Biblical story of David facing Goliath to underscore the importance of facing giants of all magnitudes.  

“The idea of David and Goliath is appropriate not only in a social context but in a personal context because all of us have personal giants we need to face and all of us have societal giants that we need to face,” said Rev. Sharpton. “If we’re afraid to stand up then we are not deserving of those that [previously] stood up and gave their lives so that we could build a better life than they did.” 

Rev. Sharpton informed the audience of the upcoming March on Wall Street event happening Aug 28, organized by the National Action Network (NAN). The organization, founded by Rev. Sharpton in 1991, is leading the event in commemoration of the 62nd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. NAN’s aim is to hold Wall Street “accountable for perpetuating inequality and demand financial reforms that benefit everyone, regardless of background.” Howard students are joining in on NAN’s call to action by bringing a delegation to participate in Thursday's march. The effort is led by senior Tabia J. Lee, president of the university’s NAN chapter.  

“We decided this year not to come to Washington because … the real people that are deferring the dream are on Wall Street,” Rev. Sharpton said during the service. “They’re the ones that are financing the moves for redistricting and robbing us of our right to vote and representation. So rather than come to Washington, we said, ‘we’re going to Wall Street this year, where they do business.’” 

Rev. Sharpton also spoke to the importance of federal funding for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Medicare. He mentioned his family's reliance on using programs like SNAP when he was growing up. 

“My daddy left when I was 10 and my mom raised my sister and me on welfare. That’s why I’m taking the SNAP money cutting personally,” he said. 

Rev. Sharpton also encouraged students in the audience to take a stand against unjust political actions, saying “I don’t care what degree you got. If you don’t have a degree of courage, you won’t get to use the degree you got.”