Charles B. Rangel, the iconic former congressman and Korean War veteran, died, ironically, on Memorial Day, May 26, at Harlem Hospital on Lenox Avenue in Harlem, New York. He was 94 years old and the last of the so-called “Gang of Four”, once referred to as the “Harlem Clubhouse.”
Rangel’s rise to political leadership journeys back to his election to the New York State Assembly in 1966. He would later run for U.S. Congress against Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., unseating him in 1970. He went on to become the eighteenth longest-serving member of Congress, spanning 46 years (23 terms).
Rangel’s successor, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, said he remembers his predecessor as a man of persuasion and influence. “Charlie Rangel had this art, this ability to convince people.”
And in his remembrance of the iconic congressman, Senator Chuck Schumer contends, “He left the world a lot better than he found it.”
Rangel, who co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus and was the first Black to chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee, has always been about strengthening the Black (African) World and urban revitalization. From the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (now a more regional initiative) and the Rangel Workforce Development Center to the Caribbean Basin Initiative and the ending of apartheid in South Africa, with Nelson Mandela’s visit to Harlem and the U.S, this Black American stalwart was a trailblazer and pathfinder, addressing core issues important to his core constituency and the Harlems of the world.
“It is fitting that my good friend and senior mentor, the Honorable Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who was awarded the historic U.S. Army Purple Heart for his bravery and leadership during the Korean War, would transition on Memorial Day,” Lloyd Williams, president of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, shared. “Over this past half century, he was truly one of the most effective and productive members of Congress. He will be missed and remembered in South Africa, the Caribbean Basin, Korea, South and Central America, Washington, DC, New York, Urban America, and especially in his beloved home – the Village of Harlem,” Williams reminds.
Well known as the “Lion of Lenox Avenue,” a term coined by the Honorable Percy Sutton, Rangel died on Monday, May 26, on Lenox Avenue between 135th and 137th Streets in Harlem. “From birth to transition, it’s Lenox Avenue,” Williams contends.
Charles Bernard Rangel was born in Harlem on 132nd Street between Lenox and 5th Avenues, and he would later establish his law practice and residence within these few blocks – always between Lenox and Fifth.
“Charlie Rangel was a towering figure in American politics and a champion for justice, equity, and opportunities. He was task-oriented, and he saw his role as a coalition builder. What kept him going for fifty years in public service was his optimism and hope for a brighter future,” noted Dr. Vincent Boudreau, president of City College of New York and co-architect of The Charlie Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Development Center at City College. “What could be more patriotic than to devote resources to develop America’s infrastructure?” Boudreau stated.
The last of the “Gang of Four” to make his transition, Rangel also lived the longest: Rangel 94, Dinkins 93, Dukes 92, Sutton 89, and Patterson 87.
“All of these elders were so influential in my early journey. I used to wear bow ties to emulate Dinkins and suspenders to emulate Rangel. I worked in the State Assembly like most of them, and they drove my desire to serve,” shared Attorney Sean Edwards, pastor of Faith Place Church in Queens.
The New York Christian Times, in partnership with The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, will host special tributes and a celebration of the Lion of Lenox Avenue during HARLEM WEEK 2025.
