Why civil rights activist Robert Woodson is upset with Al Sharpton and the New York Times

"It is embedding in America that America should be defined by its birth defect of slavery," Woodson told Fox News Digital. 

"The New York Times has been the leading culprit in condemning the country, burning the flags, and celebrating those who demean these values. It is, in fact, those same values of the founders that enabled Blacks to survive slavery in Jim Crow," Woodson said. 

A New York Times spokesperson provided Fox News Digital with the following comment: "This 1619 Project was a piece of deep and original reporting that brought to light new and underexplored truths, and it's only natural that principled and rigorous reporting like this would spark reflection and discussion. The series deepened many readers' understanding of the nation's past, the lingering effects of slavery and its centrality to America's story and the significant contributions of Black Americans to this country."

The statement continued: "Readers have benefited immensely from the groundbreaking journalism of Nikole Hannah-Jones and the full team of writers and editors who brought us this transformative work. The New York Times is proud to continue pursuing vital journalism like this."

With regard to the comment about flag burning, the Times spokesperson added:  "In fact, the central essay of the 1619 Project, the one that won a Pulitzer Prize, made a case for why Black Americans should embrace the flag, and the illustrated book that came out last year featured a gallery of patriotic images of people with the flag."

Woodson also has a bone to pick with Sharpton, an MSNBC weekend host who often leads divisive rallies and put his network in an awkward situation ahead of the 2024 presidential election. 

"They would never tolerate this from someone White," Woodson said. 

"You would never have a television anchor going out leading demonstrations or accepting [donations] from a political candidate and then interviewing them on their network," he continued. "Al Sharpton has been a special exception." 

MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.