Remembering Percy E. Sutton

“Mentor, leader, media mogul, entrepreneur, friend, WWII fighter, champion, “The Chairman,” or just simply Dad or Uncle Jimmy are all ways in which family and friends remembered Percy Ellis Sutton during his funeral service at Riverside Church on Wednesday.

Sutton passed away on Dec. 26. He was 89.

In a time when the civil rights and civil liberties of African Americans were limited, Sutton defied the odds and worked hard against obstacles to educate himself. For more than 50 years Sutton’s numerous achievements would make him an iconic figure in New York and his legendary stature would inspire and motivate many far beyond Harlem. The pioneering civil rights attorney represented Malcolm X, served as Manhattan’s borough president, was elected to the state Legislature, served as a member of the NAACP, resurrected Harlem’s 125th street by saving the Apollo Theater, and built a media empire making WBLS the No. 1 radio station in the country. Even with all his accomplishments, Sutton still made time for his family and mentored politicians, entrepreneurs and every day people. Today, all whom he touched celebrated his life and legacy.

President Barack Obama called Sutton “a true hero to African-Americans in New York City and around the country. We will remember him for his service to the country…His life-long dedication to the fight for civil rights, and his career as an entrepreneur and public servant made the rise of countless young African Americans possible.”

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) said “We all have an obligation to continue this great man’s work. … We all cannot be Percy Sutton, but there is a little of Percy in all of us. Part of my life is to make sure that Percy Sutton never dies.”

Sutton’s granddaughter Keisha Sutton James

called her grandfather her “Einstein and Superman. He was brilliant and infallible. He taught me to love truly and made sure that this little black girl knew she was amazing.”

Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy, said “Percy Sutton didn’t die, he just passed away. Every time a black politician walks in a Legislature hallway, that’s Percy Sutton. Every time a black radio station plays black music, that’s Percy Sutton. Every time talk radio registers voters and mobilizes those that fight for justice, that’s Percy Sutton. He took the megaphones out of our hands and gave us a radio station…he made us important.”

Former Mayor David Dinkins called Sutton his “personal hero.” “Had there been no Chairman Sutton there certainly would be no Mayor Dinkins. Percy was more than the architect & engineer of the Gang of Four. He was our inspiration.”

Hazel N. Dukes, president of the New York State Conference of the NAACP praised Sutton as her “fearless mentor.” “He was always willing to give his guidance and support.”

New York Gov. David Paterson

remembered Sutton in a video statement for being “fiercely loyal, compassionate and a truly kind soul. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on through the next generation of African Americans he inspired to pursue and fulfill their own dreams and ambitions.”

Rev. Jesse Jackson said “The tallest tree in our forest has fallen.”

Tuskegee Airman Dr. Roscoe Brown said “Percy would dream the impossible and make it work.”

Stevie Wonder took a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to pay his respects. Before singing “I’ll Be Loving You Always,” he told the family “they were blessed to have a king in their family.”

Clarence B. Jones, former speechwriter and counsel to Dr. Martin Luther King, said “Percy was black and proud before James Brown asked us to be.”

Attalah Shabazz, eldest daughter of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, said “Not even I

could be who I am today if it were not for the friendship, wit, and counsel that Percy had for my dad when no one was looking. Even when things didn’t seem to be on his side, he was always on ours.”

Honorable Inez E. Dickens credited the tenacity of Sutton and the Gang of Four. “I am the first black woman to be in leadership in the New York City Council because of them. … Percy had unmatched eloquence, he was brilliant, a visionary, prolific writer, and civil rights champion.”

After the service, a motorcade drove through Harlem passing Sutton’s office on 125th street and pausing at the Apollo Theater for a moment of silence. He will be cremated and his ashes flown to Texas. Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that a complex of three schools in Harlem will be renamed the Percy Ellis Sutton Educational Complex.