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WASHINGTON - It was a big night for Harlem, as one trailblazer of the courts met another trailblazer of the U.S. Congress. The talented guard of Georgetown's storied basketball team, Jessie Sapp, a Harlem native, introduced Congressman Charles Rangel at the school's weeklong celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. last week.
On the court, the Hoya junior is a consistent and clutch player, leading the team in a come-from-behind win against West Virginia just this past weekend. And before a crowd of 150 onlookers, Sapp channeled that same Zen, speaking to his admiration for the Ways and Means Chairman.
"It’s cool to see someone from the neighborhood," Sapp said. "Where I come from, there are not many people who reach the level that he has. He’s a big-time congressman in the House of Representatives, and it doesn’t get much bigger. It just gives you a different idea on what people from Harlem can become."
Congressman Rangel with Georgetown basketball star Jessie Sapp.
Sapp grew up in the Woodrow Wilson projects on 105th Street and First Avenue. He attended the Manhattan Center for Math and Science, and is a member of the East Ward Missionary Baptist Church on 104th Street and First Avenue.
The Congressman's remarks that night focused on the failings of the Bush Administration, from its lackluster records on civil rights and economic security to the unnecessary and costly invasion of Iraq. He noted that President Bush's record represented "all the things that Dr. King fought against."
But, afterwards, the two Harlem sons caught up.
"He said that people back home were proud of me. That meant a whole lot to me. I know my family and friends have watched what I’ve done, but to hear that from someone who is so important in this country and in the world, that really meant a lot," Sapp said.
"We are extremely proud of this young man, one of Harlem's own," Rangel said. "We are all watching him. We are rooting for him. Each and every one of his successes is a success for us all."
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