NEW YORK — Funeral services are pending for Charles Rangel, who represented Harlem and other parts of New York City in Congress for 46 years.
A heavyweight in New York politics as a member of Harlem’s “Gang of Four,” Rangel died May 26. He was 94.
Rangel was the last living member of the “Gang of Four” made up of powerful African-American leaders in New York: David Dinkins (1927-2020), Basil Paterson (1946-2014) and Percy Sutton (1920-2009). The four dealmakers were powerbrokers at a time when political decisions were made in smoke-filled rooms often over poker games.
Rangel served in Congress from 1970 to 2016 after unseating Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr.
In 2010, President Barack Obama suggested that Rangel resign from Congress “with dignity” after he was targeted by an ethics investigation that would eventually mean he had to give up the chairmanship of the Ways & Means Committee.
“This guy from Lenox Avenue is retiring with dignity,” Rangel would later tell reporters as he departed Congress on his terms and at the time of his choosing.
Rangel ignored Obama and remained in Congress for another six years with an aura that made many forget about the ethics investigation.
A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rangel also was the first Black to serve as chair of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee.
As chair Rangel played a central role in shaping U.S. tax legislation. He advocated for progressive tax reform, closing corporate loopholes and increasing tax equity.
He also was a strong supporter of Social Security and Medicare and defended and expanded programs aimed at reducing poverty and supporting working-class families.
“We all have a large stake in preserving our democracy, but I maintain that those without power in our society, the Black, the brown, the poor of all colors, have the largest stake not because we have the most to lose, but because we have worked the hardest, and given the most, for what we have achieved,” Rangel once said.
Before serving in Congress, Rangel held many other political jobs. In 1961, he was appointed by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to be an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. He also was legal counsel for the New York Housing and Redevelopment Board.
Born in Harlem on June 30, 1930, Rangel served in the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.
After the war, he attended New York University, graduating in 1957, and then went to St. John’s University School of Law, where he graduated in 1960.
He served two terms in the New York State Assembly before being elected to Congress in 1970.
“The Lion of Lenox Ave was a transformational force of nature,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X. “Harlem, NYC and America are better today because of his service.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton, head of the National Action Network, also eulogized Rangel.
“I first met Charlie as a teenager, and for over 50years, he remained a constant presence in my life and in the fight for our community,” Sharpton said in a statement.
He married Alma Carter in 1964 and were married for 60 years until her death last year.
He is survived by a son, Steven Rangel, a daughter, Alicia Rangel Haughton and three grandsons.
