Charles Rangel, the longtime U.S. congressman from New York City and the last surviving member of the “Gang of Four,” has died. He was 94.
Born in Harlem, Rangel was a member of the House of Representatives for 46 years. He was a Korean War veteran and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“A towering figure in American politics and a champion for justice, equity, and opportunity, Congressman Rangel dedicated over four decades of his life to public service,” the Rangel family said in a statement announcing his death Monday.
“There are many who will attempt to imitate, but the great Charlie Rangel will never be replicated,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. “Whether in the United States Army, the federal courtroom, the halls of Congress or the streets of Harlem, Congressman Rangel led a life of public service that is second to none. The prayers of a grateful nation are with his family and the legions who loved this iconic leader. May Charles B. Rangel forever Rest in Power.”
The last of Harlem’s “Gang of Four”
Rangel was the last of the so-called “Lions of Harlem,” or the “Gang of Four,” with Basil Paterson, Percy Sutton, Herman Denny Farrell and former Mayor David Dinkins. The “Lions” were known as the first to break down race and class barriers, cutting paths for others to follow.
Prior to his election to Congress in 1970, Rangel earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for leading a group of soldiers out of a deadly Chinese army encirclement during the Battle of Konu-ri.
He went on to become the first Black chair of the House’s influential Ways and Means Committee.
“Charlie was an inspiration and embodied the truest form of leadership in public service, steadied in his faith and faithfulness in the American people, and a giant unmatched in his leadership, compassion, and commitment to upholding the values of our nation. I will miss him dearly,” Congressman Adriano Espaillat, who became NY-13’s representative after Rangel retired in 2017, said in a statement posted to social media.
Rangel was also influential in the creation of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation that helped change the economic face of Harlem.
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contributed to this report.