Percy Sutton
Percy Ellis Sutton (November 24, 1920 – December 26, 2009) was an American political and business leader. An activist in the Civil Rights Movement and lawyer, he was also a Freedom Rider and the legal representative for Malcolm X. He was the highest-ranking African-American elected official in New York City when he was Manhattan borough president from 1966 to 1977, the longest tenure at that position. He later became an entrepreneur whose investments included the New York Amsterdam News and the Apollo Theater in Harlem.[1]
Percy Sutton
December 26, 2009 (aged 89)
New York City, US
Gates of Heaven Memorial Cemetery, San Antonio
Leatrice O'Farrel Sutton
Activist in the Civil Rights Movement, entrepreneur, lawyer[1]
1941-1945
Captain
World War II
Legal career[edit]
During the 1950s and 1960s, Sutton became one of America's best-known lawyers. He represented many controversial figures, such as Malcolm X. After the murder of Malcolm X in 1965, Sutton and his brother Oliver helped to cover the expenses of his widow, Betty Shabazz.
Sutton's civil-rights advocacy took him even further in the minds of many. Being jailed with Stokely Carmichael and other activists endeared him to the Harlem community and showed many that he was willing to place himself in harm's way for his client's sake.
Private sector[edit]
In 1971, Sutton cofounded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation which purchased New York City's WLIB-AM, and WBLS FM the city's first African-American-owned radio station.[11]
Sutton served in the New York City Police Department Auxiliary Police during the late 1970s.[12]
Sutton produced It's Showtime at the Apollo, a syndicated, music television show first broadcast on September 12, 1987.
Awards and honors[edit]
In 1987, Sutton was awarded the Spingarn Medal, an award presented annually by the NAACP for outstanding achievement by an African American. In 1992, he received a Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.[13]