Black People : Malcolm's lawyer Percy Sutton has passed

Ankhur

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Oct 4, 2009
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The city's flags are at half mast today, in honor of activist, politician and business Percy Sutton who died on December 26 at age 89. President Obama said in a statement, "Percy Sutton was a true hero to African Americans in New York City and around the country. We will remember him for his service to the country as a Tuskegee Airman, to New York State as a state assemblyman, to New York City as Manhattan Borough President, and to the community of Harlem in leading the effort to revitalize the world renowned Apollo Theater. 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."



Sutton is a survivor. He literally bears the scars of segregation from abuse he suffered under bigoted police officers in Texas decades ago. While the Tuskegee Airmen are now celebrated as heroes of World War II, when Sutton flew with them, white soldiers were not required to salute them even if they were of higher rank. He has fought both bladder and prostate cancer, coupled with heart problems that he says, “have taken me to the brink of death.��?
By Adam Howard
September 17th, 2004



A stunt pilot, train conductor, military intelligence officer, civil rights attorney, broadcast company owner, TV producer, and borough president.

What do these roles have in common? Percy Sutton has held these positions at one point in his career. Sutton has worked since he was a child and at age 83 he shows no desire to slow down. “I will work as long as I have the mental capacity to work,��? he says, in an interview conducted in his cluttered Harlem office, which he affectionately calls “the snake pit.��?

Sutton’s story did not begin in Harlem, but that’s where he attained his prominence and legendary stature. In the 1960’s Sutton became known in the community as an attorney who represented social activists. When Malcolm X, then considered a controversial figure by much of the corporate media, needed a lawyer, Sutton was the only man, Black or white, willing to represent him. The two became very close and he served as Malcolm X’s family lawyer before and after his death.

It was also Percy Sutton and his brother Oliver who helped to cover Betty Shabazz’s expenses after the murder of her husband Malcolm X. His civil rights advocacy, his willingness to be arrested and even to be placed in harm’s way for his clients endeared him to the Harlem community.

Another chapter in Sutton’s career was his 11 years as Manhattan Borough President from 1966 to 1977. Ken Knuckles, the current President & CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, the federal-state-and City sponsored initiative to revitalize Harlem, recalls Sutton’s support for the community. Sutton, while borough president “was the first one to coin the idea of tourism in upper Manhattan, Knuckles says. He also believes that, “the seed of the Empowerment Zone idea was planted when he was borough president

From ownership of Innercity broadcasting he introduced these folks via radio to the general Black community of the tristate area;
daily on WBLS AM 1190
Imhotep Gary Byrd;

daily on WWRL AM 1600
rev Del Schields, and Donna Wilson;

nightly on WWRL AM 1600
activist Bob Law;

Ra Un Nefer Amen
Queen Afua
Dr Joy Degruy
Iyanla Vanzant
Ishakamusa Barashango
Dr Naiim Akbar
Dr ivan van Sertima
Dr Ben Jochanan
professor Mackey
the United African Movement
The Respect Yourself organization for Youth
by Bob Law
The Crown Heights Youth Collective
Project Safe Haven
The Black United Fund
Dr Claude Anderson
Dr John Henrik Clarke
Ashwa Keisi
Brother Samajj
Bob Marley
The Mighty Sparrow
Alice Coltrane
Archie Shepp
Dr Betty Shabazz
Dr Adelaide Sanford
Dr Barbara Ann Teer and the National Black theater
The Labor Day Parade Carribbean Festival
The Million Man March
The African Street Festival
Haki Matibuti
The Last Poets
Amiri Baraka
Stevie Wonder
Chuck D
Professor Griff
Dr Khalid Muhammed
Abubadika Sonny Carson
Honorable Herman Ferguson
Dr Leonard Jeffries
Councilman Charles Barron
Rev Herbert Daughtry
Fther Laurence Lucas
Viola Plumber
Pam Afrika
Jeruba Ben Wihad
Minister Louis Farakhan
Al Sharpton
Minister Kevin Muhammed
Sister Souljah
Dr Laaila Afrika
Kenny Gamble
Bill Mcreary
Gil Noble
Dr Ben Carson
Marcus Garvey Junior
Marimba Ani
Mariam Makeba
Circle of Sisters
Tynetta Muhammed
Bobby Seale
Mumia Abu Jamal
Samore' Michel
Wole Soyinka
and any number of community based action groups and Black owned small businesses servicing the Black community here and globally


 
sutton.jpg


http://www.blackstarnews.com/
Percy Sutton, At 83, Life is just Beginning



Sutton is a survivor. He literally bears the scars of segregation from abuse he suffered under bigoted police officers in Texas decades ago. While the Tuskegee Airmen are now celebrated as heroes of World War II, when Sutton flew with them, white soldiers were not required to salute them even if they were of higher rank. He has fought both bladder and prostate cancer, coupled with heart problems that he says, “have taken me to the brink of death.��?
By Adam Howard
September 17th, 2004



A stunt pilot, train conductor, military intelligence officer, civil rights attorney, broadcast company owner, TV producer, and borough president.

What do these roles have in common? Percy Sutton has held these positions at one point in his career. Sutton has worked since he was a child and at age 83 he shows no desire to slow down. “I will work as long as I have the mental capacity to work,��? he says, in an interview conducted in his cluttered Harlem office, which he affectionately calls “the snake pit.��?

Sutton’s story did not begin in Harlem, but that’s where he attained his prominence and legendary stature. In the 1960’s Sutton became known in the community as an attorney who represented social activists. When Malcolm X, then considered a controversial figure by much of the corporate media, needed a lawyer, Sutton was the only man, Black or white, willing to represent him. The two became very close and he served as Malcolm X’s family lawyer before and after his death.

It was also Percy Sutton and his brother Oliver who helped to cover Betty Shabazz’s expenses after the murder of her husband Malcolm X. His civil rights advocacy, his willingness to be arrested and even to be placed in harm’s way for his clients endeared him to the Harlem community.

Another chapter in Sutton’s career was his 11 years as Manhattan Borough President from 1966 to 1977. Ken Knuckles, the current President & CEO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, the federal-state-and City sponsored initiative to revitalize Harlem, recalls Sutton’s support for the community. Sutton, while borough president “was the first one to coin the idea of tourism in upper Manhattan, Knuckles says. He also believes that, “the seed of the Empowerment Zone idea was planted when he was borough president

From ownership of Innercity broadcasting he introduced these folks via radio to the general Black community of the tristate area;
daily on WBLS AM 1190
Imhotep Gary Byrd;

daily on WWRL AM 1600
rev Del Schields, and Donna Wilson;

nightly on WWRL AM 1600
activist Bob Law;

Ra Un Nefer Amen
Queen Afua
Dr Joy Degruy
Iyanla Vanzant
Ishakamusa Barashango
Dr Naiim Akbar
Dr ivan van Sertima
Dr Ben Jochanan
professor Mackey
the United African Movement
The Respect Yourself organization for Youth
by Bob Law
The Crown Heights Youth Collective
Project Safe Haven
The Black United Fund
Dr Claude Anderson
Dr John Henrik Clarke
Ashwa Keisi
Brother Samajj
Bob Marley
The Mighty Sparrow
Alice Coltrane
Archie Shepp
Dr Betty Shabazz
Dr Adelaide Sanford
Dr Barbara Ann Teer and the National Black theater
The Labor Day Parade Carribbean Festival
The Million Man March
The African Street Festival
Haki Matibuti
The Last Poets
Amiri Baraka
Stevie Wonder
Chuck D
Professor Griff
Dr Khalid Muhammed
Abubadika Sonny Carson
Honorable Herman Ferguson
Dr Leonard Jeffries
Councilman Charles Barron
Rev Herbert Daughtry
Fther Laurence Lucas
Viola Plumber
Pam Afrika
Jeruba Ben Wihad
Minister Louis Farakhan
Al Sharpton
Minister Kevin Muhammed
Sister Souljah
Dr Laaila Afrika
Kenny Gamble
Bill Mcreary
Gil Noble
Dr Ben Carson
Marcus Garvey Junior
Marimba Ani
Mariam Makeba
Circle of Sisters
Tynetta Muhammed
Bobby Seale
Mumia Abu Jamal
Samore' Michel
Wole Soyinka
and any number of communiy based action groups and Black owned small businesses sevicing the Black community here and globally




Wow so sorry to hear this news, he also helped w/ the legal fees of Buying the Apollo.
 
Wow so sorry to hear this news, he also helped w/ the legal fees of Buying the Apollo.
the world shall not see his likes again.
I met the man at the APOLLO by accident while attending the Global Black Experience live broadcast from there with Gary Byrd, and saw him in the hallway,

man this cat looked scary for a man in his mid seventies.
This old guy was mad diesel, like man his arms were huge , like he could rip a telephone book into four sections without blinking an eye,
and he was not like some dilitant, but shook my hand like he knew me for years.

There is no value that can be placed on the many scholars he introduced to every day working, and poor Black folks in the tristate area
 

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