The Legacies of Percy Sutton, Charles Rangel, and Dr. Hazel Dukes Live On
The Percy Sutton Harlem 5K on August 9 will pay tribute to the life and legacy of trailblazer Percy Sutton, a Black political, social, cultural, and business leader from Harlem who played a pivotal role in the history of the New York City Marathon.
This year’s race and accompanying youth races will also honor two other prominent Harlem figures who passed away this year: politician Charles Rangel and activist and humanitarian Hazel N. Dukes.
Percy Sutton’s Amazing Life and Legacy
Percy Sutton (seated second from right) holding a proclamation before the first five-borough New York City Marathon, in 1976.
Percy Sutton (1920–2009) was born in San Antonio, Texas, the youngest of 15 children. Of the 12 who survived to adulthood, all earned college degrees and seven did graduate studies.
At the age of 12, Sutton stowed away on a passenger train to New York City, spending his first night sleeping under a Harlem street sign. He became involved in the civil rights movement and was once beaten by a police officer for handing out leaflets for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Sutton attended three colleges, and during World War II he served as an intelligence officer and won combat stars with the Tuskegee Airmen.
After the war, Sutton held down two jobs while attending Columbia Law School and Brooklyn Law School. Following a stint in the Air Force during the Korean War, he built up a successful and influential civil rights law practice. His clients included Malcolm X and hundreds of people arrested in protests around the country.
In 1965, Sutton was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he became a spokesman for the body’s 13 Black members. He was elected Manhattan Borough President in 1966 and served in that position until 1977, making him still the longest-serving Manhattan borough president in history.
In the role, Sutton vigorously promoted economic development and tourism in Harlem. In 1974 he co-founded Harlem Day, which grew into Harlem Week. This year’s Harlem Week celebration takes place August 1–17.
In 1975, Sutton attended the New York City Marathon when it still took place entirely in Central Park. He saw huge potential and presented the idea of a five-borough race to Mayor Abraham Beame. Sutton was a driving force in making the first five-borough New York City Marathon happen in 1976.
He remained a diehard supporter of the New York City Marathon and New York Road Runners for the rest of his life.
In 1981, Sutton’s successful Inner City Broadcasting Company bought the Apollo Theater and spearheaded its $20 million renovation.
“Percy Sutton played a pivotal role in revitalizing Harlem by investing in cultural institutions like the Apollo Theater, preserving its historical legacy and transforming it into a global symbol of Black excellence,” said Lloyd Williams, the president and CEO of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce (GHCC). “His dedication to economic empowerment and community development—including as a past chairman of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, a co-founder of Harlem Day (which became Harlem Week), and expanding the New York City Marathon to run through all five boroughs of NYC including the miles through Harlem—laid the foundation for Harlem’s ongoing renaissance. Future leaders can learn the importance of visionary investment, cultural pride, and community-centered leadership from Sutton's legacy.”
Charles Rangel’s Life of Service to Community
Charles Rangel, who died this past May at age 94, represented Harlem in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 2017.
A native of Harlem, Rangel earned the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service in Korea and graduated from St. John’s University with a law degree. In 1966, Rangel won a seat in the New York State Assembly, and in 1970, he unseated U.S. Representative Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. to begin his remarkable career in Congress.
In 1971, Rangel co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus. He became the first Black member of the Ways and Means Committee in 1975, and in 2007 he became the panel’s first Black chair. In 1986, Rangel was instrumental in creating affordable housing throughout the United States by authoring the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit as part of the Tax Reform Act. In 1993, he authored a tax bill that promoted job creation and investment in inner-city areas known as empowerment zones.
In 2020, when Rangel was still active in politics, Williams said: “If you really want to get the energy of Charlie Rangel, just walk down the streets of Harlem with him. He cannot take five steps without somebody stopping him or saying, 'Charlie!" or ‘Proud of you!’ or ‘Can I get a picture with you?’”
Sutton and Rangel were leaders of the “Gang of Four” (also known as the Harlem Clubhouse), a powerful political coalition that also included New York City Mayor David Dinkins and New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson.
Hazel Dukes: Activist and Humanitarian
Born in Alabama in 1932, Hazel Nell Dukes moved to Harlem in 1955. She was a business leader, a community organizer, an advocate for education reform, and served as the President of the NAACP New York State Conference from 1977 until her death this year at age 92.
“The legacy of Percy Sutton, Charles Rangel, and Dr. Hazel Dukes lives on through the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and HARLEM WEEK by promoting our triumphs, accomplishments, and our greatness as a people in economic empowerment, cultural celebration, and civic engagement in the community,” said Williams. “Their commitment to equality, civil rights, human rights, and treating people with respect and dignity is reflected in initiatives that support local businesses, showcase Black culture, and advocate for social justice. The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce's motto, ‘The Business of Business is People,’ is the foundation of building bridges between communities, cultures, and providing a better quality of life for all.”
The achievements of Sutton, Rangel, and Dukes, and their tireless efforts on behalf of Harlem, will be celebrated at the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K and throughout Harlem Week. Come out and be a part of an event that honors their legacy.
Photos of Charles Rangel and Dr. Hazel Dukes are provided courtesy of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.