Percy Sutton served as one of the Tuskegee Airmen during the Second World War before earning his law degree, building a civil rights legal practice in New York that represented prominent clients including Malcolm X, whom Sutton knew personally for years before his assassination.
Sutton entered New York politics, becoming Manhattan Borough President in 1966, a position he held for over a decade, becoming one of the most powerful Black political figures in New York City during that period and helping launch the careers of numerous Black political leaders who followed him.
In 1971, Sutton and a group of investors purchased radio station WLIB, founding Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, which grew over the following decades into one of the largest Black-owned media companies in the United States, eventually including ownership of Harlem's historic Apollo Theater.
Sutton's Inner City Broadcasting became a significant platform for Black-owned media in America, and his combined career across civil rights law, city politics and media ownership established him as one of the most consequential Black public figures in twentieth-century New York.
- Founded Inner City Broadcasting, one of the largest Black-owned media companies in America
- Served as Manhattan Borough President for over a decade
- Acquired ownership of Harlem's historic Apollo Theater
- Decorated Tuskegee Airman during World War II
- Civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X
- Ownership creates lasting institutional power. His media empire ensured Black voices controlled their own platforms rather than depending on others.
- Multiple careers can compound into significant influence. His combined legal, political and business careers built cumulative impact across decades.
- Personal relationships can shape historical significance. His close association with Malcolm X placed him at the centre of consequential civil rights history.
- Cultural institutions deserve protection through ownership. His acquisition of the Apollo Theater preserved a landmark cultural site under Black ownership.