[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 484 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 484

  Expressing the sense of Congress that the Honorable Percy Sutton be 
 recognized as primarily responsible for the rebirth of the legendary 
 Apollo Theatre of Harlem and as a trailblazer in business, politics, 
                      telecommunications, and law.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

  Mr. Rangel submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of Congress that the Honorable Percy Sutton be 
 recognized as primarily responsible for the rebirth of the legendary 
 Apollo Theatre of Harlem and as a trailblazer in business, politics, 
                      telecommunications, and law.

Whereas as we celebrate the rebirth of 125th Street, the main street of Harlem 
        and the 70th Anniversary of the Apollo Theatre, Harlem's historic 
        entertainment landmark, we pay tribute to Percy Sutton, the man who was 
        most responsible for revitalizing, renovating and re-opening the 
        historic Apollo Theatre of Harlem when he purchased the deteriorated and 
        neglected property in the 1980s;
Whereas by the 1970s, the Apollo Theatre was no longer a financially successful 
        business due to the rise of recording technology and an increased demand 
        for artists; the theatre quickly fell into bankruptcy in 1979; two years 
        later Percy Sutton purchased the building and through his efforts the 
        legendary theater was given the designation as a New York City and state 
        landmark and listed on the National Register of historic places;
Whereas under Percy Sutton's direction the ailing theatre was transformed from 
        its run down condition, restored and turned into a functioning theatre, 
        due to his contributions more than a decade ago, the theatre began its 
        vibrant rebirth as a landmark center of entertainment; without his 
        vision and commitment the Apollo Theatre would not exist today;
Whereas designated as a historic landmark the legendary Apollo Theater 
        encompasses much more, it is a source of African American pride and a 
        symbol of the brilliance of American artistic achievement; from 1934 
        when the Apollo first introduced its world-famous ``Amateur Night'' 
        which launched the careers of legendary artists like Ella Fitzgerald, 
        James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Lauryn Hill, the Apollo has maintained 
        its position as the nation's most recognized arena for budding and 
        seasoned Black and Latino performers; because of Percy Sutton's major 
        contributions to the legendary Apollo Theatre it continues to be the 
        institution ``where stars are born and legends are made'';
Whereas the Honorable Percy Ellis Sutton is a pioneer who has made great 
        contributions to the City of New York and the nation as an entrepreneur, 
        political leader and civil rights activist;
Whereas an astute businessman and innovator in the broadcast industry, Percy 
        Sutton co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC), which 
        purchased WLIB-AM, the first ever Black owned radio station in New York 
        City and later WBLS-FM, a leading radio station in New York City; as 
        chairman and owner, his company ICBC currently ranks No. 58 on the Black 
        Enterprise (BE) Industrial/Service 100 list;
Whereas in 1966 he was elected Borough President of Manhattan, one of New York 
        City's highest civic positions, winning eighty percent of the vote, he 
        filled this office with great distinction for more than eleven years;
Whereas in 1964, Percy Sutton ran and was elected as one of the first African 
        American members of the New York State Assembly where he served two 
        years;
Whereas Percy Sutton was a World War II flyer who enlisted with the Army Air 
        Corps in New York to serve with the distinguished and famously revered 
        Tuskegee Airmen; he won combat stars for his role in the Italian and 
        Mediterranean operations as an intelligence officer with the 332nd 
        Fighter Group's 99th Pursuit Squadron and was honorably discharged as a 
        Captain;
Whereas he served as a civil rights attorney for the NAACP and as the personal 
        lawyer to the famed Black Nationalist leader, orator and activist, El-
        Hajj Malik El Shabazz (aka Malcolm X);
Whereas Percy Sutton was a pioneer in establishing trade and commercial ties 
        between the United States and the Caribbean;
Whereas in 1995 Percy Sutton was selected by the late Honorable Ron Brown, 
        former United States Secretary of Commerce, as a member of the 
        delegation of leading business people to represent the United States at 
        the G-7 roundtable meeting on Telecommunications and High Technology;
Whereas Percy Sutton attended three historically black universities; Prairie 
        View Agricultural Mechanical College, Tuskegee University and Hampton 
        Institute, as well as Columbia University and in 1950 he earned his 
        Jurist Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School;
Whereas Percy Ellis Sutton was born on November 24, 1920, in San Antonio, Texas, 
        the youngest of 15 children, all of whom became distinguished citizens 
        in their respective professions;
Whereas earlier in his career he was an accomplished acrobatic stunt pilot and 
        earned money by giving air shows at various local county fairs;
Whereas Percy Sutton has been the recipient of numerous awards, honors and 
        recognitions; he has been honored by the Congressional Black Caucus 
        (CBC) and has received the Marketing Opportunities in Business and 
        Entertainment's (MOBE) CLYDE award, as well as the prestigious NAACP 
        Spingarn Medal awarded in 1987; and
Whereas Percy Sutton is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and has 
        served as the chairman of the National Urban League as well as serving 
        on numerous boards of directors: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that Honorable Percy Sutton be 
recognized as primarily responsible for the rebirth of the legendary 
Apollo Theatre of Harlem and as a trailblazer in business, politics, 
telecommunications, and law.
                                 <all>