He’s been called a con man, a charlatan, a race-baiting rabble-rouser, and a whole lot more, but who is the Reverend Al Sharpton really and how did he become one of the most controversial Civil Rights activists of the modern era? Loudmouth cuts through the clichés and assumptions surrounding the track-suit-wearing crusader to investigate the roots of his political engagement and his transformation into a media-savvy showman. Playing into the tabloid journalism of the Jerry Springers and Phil Donahues of his heyday, Sharpton effectively raised awareness about the systemic injustice, racism, and white supremacy that has persisted in America. As he once famously declared, “Critics would say that all Al Sharpton wants is publicity. Well, that’s exactly what I want.”