The Rev. Al Sharpton has announced plans to visit with Meek Mill this Monday (Nov. 27). The rapper is currently serving a two to four year sentence for probation violation and was recently transferred to the Chester State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania.
The famed New York-based civil rights activist is hoping that their meeting will help add pressure to grant Meek a new hearing, all while addressing issues surrounding mass incarceration and the criminal justice system.
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“I think this is about an injustice that is representative of many young men of color that face an abuse of a probation or parole system,” Sharpton said, addressing a crowd from the Harlem headquarters of his not-for-profit civil rights organization, the National Action Network. “This is not about an artist, this is about a system.”
Sharpton, who previously helped Tupac get out of solitary confinement at the request of his mother in the 90s and has since worked tirelessly to both monitor and aid countless cases around the country, also touched on how his upcoming visit with Meek falls in line with his ongoing work surrounding criminal justice reform.
“I think what’s happening with Meek Mill is something that the National Action Network has always fought, and I hope that me going there is going to raise the pressure on the issue and help begin a drive by us in supporting others and demanding a new hearing for him and a new judge,” Sharpton continued. “This has happened to countless young black men, and Meek Mill represents that, and he can be an example of how we correct that. If they can do this to someone with the profile of a Meek Mill, imagine what they’re doing every day.”
Additionally, Sharpton has confirmed that he will be meeting with Meek’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, on Sunday (Nov. 26) to further discuss the rapper’s unfair sentencing.
Keep it locked to REVOLT TV for the latest updates surrounding Meek Mill and his current incarceration as the situation continues to develop.