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November 24
Born in San Antonio, TX, Percy Ellis Sutton was the youngest of 15 children, all of whom became distinguished citizens in their respective professions including one who became a New York State Supreme Court judge and another a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Sutton's father, Samuel, was born into slavery just before the Civil War. The elder Sutton became principal at a segregated San Antonio high school, and he made education a family priority: All 12 of his surviving children attended college. At the age of 12, young Sutton ran away from home by stowing away on a passenger train to New York City, a trip that took four days. He called home to San Antonio and immediately one of his brothers-in-law was sent to bring me home. When he got home, he had earned his family's respect as an adventurer. The following year Sutton endured a traumatic experience that drove him inexorably into the fight for racial equality. A police officer approached Sutton as the teen handed out NAACP pamphlets. "N-----, what are you doing out of your neighborhood?" he asked before beating the youth While supporting himself, he attended Prairie View A & M, Tuskegee Institute, and Hampton Institute. He also learned to fly, and earned money as a stunt pilot at county fairs. Since he was already a flyer during World War II, he moved to New York, enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and served with the Tuskegee Airmen. Sutton won combat stars as an intelligence officer with the 332nd Fighter Group's Black 99th Pursuit Squadron in the Italian and Mediterranean Theater. After receiving an honorable discharge with the rank of captain, Sutton enrolled in the Brooklyn College Law School and received his law degree in 1950. As a lawyer Sutton seized his place in America by fighting for civil rights with the NAACP and as the counsel for Malcolm X. In 1966, Sutton ran for Manhattan Borough President, which he won with 80 percent of the vote. In 1971, he co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, which purchased WLIB-AM, making it the first Black-owned station in New York City. Currently Inner City Broadcasting also owns leading radio station WBLS radio. In 1995, Sutton became a member of the delegation of leading American business people selected by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown to represent the United States at the G-7 round table meeting on Telecommunications and High Technology. Sutton is also the man who had the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem refurbished and reopened. He became a mentor, a pioneer, and trailblazer to people in business, government, and law. He has been the recipient of many awards, including the NAACP's Spingarn Medal. Sutton continued to give to the community in politics, business, and communication until his death in December 2009. Reference: MOBE, 47 West Polk Street, suite 100-261, Chicago, Ill. 60605
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The African American Registry®, The African American Registry® Copyright 2005, 2006
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