“He made it clear to all people of African American heritage that there are no limits that should be put on to the possibilities of our accomplishments, that excellence is something that we should always strive for. I was not close to him but I did know him and I did respect him.”
“Mr. Sutton was the original Barack Obama. He was the original Jesse Jackson. Percy Sutton was a phenomenal giant on whose shoulders all of us are standing. As a motivational speaker he has given me many opportunities to perform at the Apollo Theater. The fact is he is my icon.”
“Mr. Sutton came to my wedding but he did that for anybody that knew him. All you had to do was ask and he would show up. I met Mr. Sutton when I was about 13-years-old, he was running for office at the time. He was our attorney when we used to picket at Civil Rights demonstrations. The first time I needed an attorney, it was him. I am going to miss him. He was certainty a Harlemite at heart.”