On this picture.
I don’t know the date on [this] picture but it’s a long, long, long, time ago (Laughs).
“He opened the doors in entertainment by revitalizing the Apollo Theater. He opened the doors in politics by becoming I believe one of the first African American borough presidents,” says Governor David Paterson.
“And, of course he helped make the world a better place as a Tuskegee Airman back in World War II,” says former New York Mayor David Dinkins.
“He has affected so many lives in the Black community that even though he is physically gone, his investments and how he helped people will go on for a long time,” says Congressman Charles Rangel.
Governor Paterson credits Percy for explaining to his father, Basil Patterson, who was very close to Percy, that David was ready to take it to the next level in his political status.
David Dinkins and Percy pose in a photo at Harlem’s Schomburg Center in New York in 2006.
“His legacy in politics helped me become the first Black mayor of the city of New York,” says Dinkins.
“He really was a trailblazer in so many different fields that it opened a lot of doors in politics, media and the Black community,” says Governor Paterson.
“Our friendship was really lasting. He is the first one to go and we are going to really miss him. I loved him very, very much and he loved all of us very, very much. And, through us living he will never die,” says Congressman Charles Rangel
Reported By: Jenisha Watts
