Charles Rangel, the long-term Congressman, and a heavyweight in New York politics as a member of Harlem’s “Gang of Four”, has died at 94. His colorful and charismatic personality, bowties, and raspy voice made him a character on Capitol Hill who was impossible to forget. Rangel was simultaneously larger than life but also approachable and engaging. 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 over poker games.
In 2010, President 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.
Before serving in Congress, Rangel did about every job in politics that existed. In 1961, Rangel was appointed by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to be an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Rangel was also a legal counsel for the New York Housing and Redevelopment Board. Charles Rangel was born in Harlem in 1930. He would go on to represent one of the most storied parts of Manhattan for 46 years in the U.S. Congress. Along with the late John Conyers, Rangel was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“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.
Rangel was the first African American to serve as Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. As chair and as a member of the Committee, Rangel played a central role in shaping U.S. tax legislation. He advocated for progressive tax reform, closing corporate loopholes, and increasing tax equity. Rangel was also a strong supporter of Social Security and Medicare and defended and expanded programs aimed at reducing poverty and supporting working-class families. The legendary Harlem Congressman also championed federal investment in affordable housing and urban infrastructure, especially for Harlem and other underserved communities.
In a noteworthy policy move, Rangel also pushed to reinstate the military draft during the Iraq War—not to promote it, but to spark debate on the fairness of who bears the burden of war. Rangel earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in the Army during Korea. Rangel served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1967 to 1971 and went on to defeat another New York political legend — Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in a primary, before winning in the general election in 1970.
Rangel retired from Congress in 2016 at 86 years old. At a time when many are discussing the age of members of Congress and the many who have died in office over the past two years, Rangel was an exception who departed on his terms. Rangel’s seat in Congress would go to Dominican-born Adriano Espaillat. The moment represented a shift in Harlem’s demographics and the power of the Latino community in the Bronx. Rangel’s wife Alma Carter passed away last year. The two met in the 1950s at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. They married in 1964 and have two children.
