Birmingham Mother and Son Die in Triple Homicide, Both Lost Fathers to Gun Violence: ‘They Did Them Wrong’

Alabama activist Kenneth Sharpton-Glasgow spent 30 years advocating for the voting rights of individuals with felony records. However, his perspective shifted after spending 11 months in federal prison on charges of tax evasion and drug distribution, where he was incarcerated alongside participants in the January 6 Capitol riot.

“Now we have Trump, a presidential candidate, running for office and he’s got 34 felonies,” Sharpton-Glasgow told 205focus.com in a phone interview from the car after his release. “So, to me, I’m like, is that God smiling on me?”

Upon his release, Sharpton-Glasgow sees a new opportunity this election year — to transform felon disenfranchisement into a bipartisan issue, as former President Trump, a Republican, and Hunter Biden, son of Democratic President Joe Biden, now join the ranks of Americans with felony convictions.

At 59, Sharpton-Glasgow has spent most of his life using the last name Glasgow. He is the half-brother of prominent activist Rev. Al Sharpton but has lived in Dothan for most of his life, brought there as a child by his mother, Tina Glasgow.

Rev. Al Sharpton was born in 1964 to parents Al Sharpton, Sr., and Ada Sharpton. Ada’s teenage daughter, Tina Glasgow, from a previous marriage, came to live with the family and became pregnant with Al Sharpton, Sr.’s son, Kenneth Glasgow.

This family history left Sharpton-Glasgow with a complicated relationship to his name. Although named Kenneth Sharpton on his birth certificate, he went by Glasgow. After his brother was stabbed at a protest in New York City, he used his mother’s name to protect himself from retaliation.

Sharpton-Glasgow spent 14 years behind bars in Florida on drug charges, where he studied religion, converted to Christianity, and conceived the idea behind TOPS – The Ordinary People Society, according to ProPublica. After his release in 2001, he returned to Dothan as a preacher and community activist, focusing on helping those who have been incarcerated and people involved in the drug trade.

He worked on several campaigns to restore voting rights to felons in Alabama, culminating in a 2017 bill that restored voting rights to many individuals convicted of drug crimes. He also worked on efforts in Florida to register former offenders to vote.

However, his life took a significant turn in 2018. While helping a man find his stolen car, the vehicle reappeared and struck the car Glasgow was driving. The passenger then jumped out and shot the woman driving the stolen car.

Though Glasgow did not fire the shots, he was arrested and charged with capital murder. Glasgow claimed he had no idea his passenger intended to shoot someone. Nearly three years later, the charges were dropped.

In 2023, Sharpton-Glasgow pleaded guilty to tax evasion and drug charges. Federal prosecutors alleged he used over $1 million donated to his nonprofit for personal expenses, failed to file a tax return, and sought disability benefits despite being healthy enough to work.

Reporting to federal prison in August 2023, he found the experience starkly different from his time in state prison in Florida. There was less violence and more resources, and he and other inmates worked on a plan to register eligible inmates to vote.

“In federal prison, if they have a crime not involving moral turpitude, they can vote,” Sharpton-Glasgow said.

While continuing to work on the same issues as before, Sharpton-Glasgow also seeks a fresh start post-release. Part of this renewal involves a name change.

His 97-year-old father, Al Sharpton, Sr., wrote to him in prison, asking him to change his name back to Sharpton as his final wish.

“One thing that has always grieved me all these years is that no one could recognize your great accomplishments as belonging to the Sharpton family,” Al Sharpton, Sr. wrote in a letter shared with 205focus.com.

After the turbulence of the past seven years, the letter seemed like a sign to Sharpton-Glasgow. Nevertheless, he also wanted to honor his mother’s name, given the adversities she endured to raise him.