SONNY CARSON: THE FINAL TRIUMPH in abridged form, relates: Sonny Carson traveled the "By-Ways" of American experience from troubled youth in Urban America, New York City, Brooklyn; through Bishops' gang membership, drug-dealing, as a "steerer," correctional prisoner, US Army Korean Veteran; to community activist in economics, education, social issues, emerging as a courageous leader of exceptional daring and fortitude, many now consider a "folk hero." As an organizational builder, Sonny created the "Committee to Honor Black Heroes" that named several streets, viz., Malcolm X Boulevard, Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Harriet Tubman Boulevard in Brooklyn as well as Malcolm X School and one named for Toussaint L'Ouverture; "Black Men Against Crack" to combat the epidemic ravaging the community; the "Bones Committee;" and he became a significant linchpin in helping create the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (Bed-Stuy Corp) to revitalize that community. He helped acquire four-year status for Medgar Evers College, CUNY. Sonny was a great admirer of Malcolm X, born May 19 and he, May 20. He was, therefore, terribly saddened by Malcolm's murder. Sonny would wish the young people of the following schools - IS 61, PS 298, JHS 113 Thurgood Marshall, JHS 275, PS/IS 73, Jordan L. Mott JHS, among others who marched, drummed and "strut their stuff" in the Malcolm X Parade down Bushwick Avenue, certainly on May 19, 1996, when Betty Shabazz, Malcolm's wife, was in attendance. His hope was that these young students, as he always said, "Stay in School," would be consciously educated to become model citizens, constructive professionals and proud they were part of that important cultural celebration, so suddenly ended.

In his activism as Education Chairman of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Brooklyn Branch, Sonny was a principal in the Ocean-Hill-Brownsville school boycott demanding the hiring of Black and Puerto Rican (Spanish) Teachers, Principals and Superintendents. This movement ultimately led to Decentralization and creation of School Board Voting helping provide local parent input in the entire process of education. Sonny Carson got a lot of pushback and heat for this principled stance but now, as then, the system, with nearly 90 percent minority enrollment, has accountability and more personnel the student body can admire and emulate.

Sonny's greatest achievement, in fact, his Triumph was returning his ancestor, "The Run-Away Samuel Carson," to Ghana, West Africa. Samuel Carson was an enslaved African from South Carolina, who served in the US Navy in the Mexican War of 1844, killed then buried in the segregated Brooklyn, Navy Yard Cemetery. In this magnanimous attainment Sonny opened the "Door of Return," creating a site of pilgrimage for African Americans beginning their search for "Roots" in Africa. This significant achievement provided the basis for Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlins to launch the First Emancipation Ceremony, now in its 25th Year. This and more Sonny accomplished, spelled out in the book entitled Sonny Carson: The Final Triumph.