3 months ago
5
HARLEM, Manhattan -- Rarely do history, culture, and community all come together in an athletic event. An exception to that, however, is the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run and Walk, which took place on Saturday morning.
The more than 5,000 runners and their supporters came together at the starting line, which is right in front of the Percy Sutton Educational Complex, at the intersection of Edgecombe and Saint Nicholas Avenues, and 135th Street. The historically Black neighborhood has a diverse population, and on Saturday it was a magnet for an even wider array of people.
Keisha Sutton-James, the deputy borough president for Manhattan, described the scene simply.
"Harlem is Harlem," she said, with a laugh. Sutton-James is the granddaughter of the man after whom the event is named.
Percy Sutton was a civil rights leader, businessman, lawyer for Malcolm X and other high profile clients, Manhattan borough president, and more.