Former US Rep. Charles Rangel Dies at 94 – A Towering Voice of Harlem and Congress

Charles Rangel, the man who had been Harlem congressman for a lengthy period of time, founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, died at the age of 94. His voice was his statement and everyone in the country could hear him. His clever jokes and his humor will be a memorable legacy for his actions and his constituents, who have all been and will be of great importance to the advancement of human rights.

The City College of New York issued a statement, which was the family’s press release, confirming the death of the congressman. Rangel passed away in New York on Monday in a local hospital.

Rangel, an honored soldier in the Korean War, became well-known nationally after he beat Adam Clayton Powell Jr., the famous one in 1970. That was the stepping stone to his incredible political career during which he was one of the nation’s most recognizable Black leaders in Congress. However, it was not until 2007 that history was actually made, with Rangel being the first-ever African American to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

Regardless of the fact that his career was not free of controversy – in relation to financial and political fundraising ethics violations, he was censured by the House in 2010 – Rangel was not ready to leave his fight in Congress until his retirement in 2017. His power of defense lacked no intensity even after the scandal and the social media helped a lot for his and Harlem, his beloved constituency, public support.

One of Rangel’s key roles in New York politics was as a member of the “Gang of Four”: a troop of Black political leaders that included David Dinkins, Percy Sutton, and Basil Paterson, and worked together to bring multiracial equality to the city. All the above were the warriors of the city that never succumbed to the threats they had of losing their land. UNESCO the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, carrying the legacy of the last largest online database of traditional games known as Tangible Cultural Heritage, and finally, David Trotter, as he quotes in a note attached to the picture below, was the Co-Chair of the UK UNESCO Associated School Project Network (ASPnet), and also the gang organizer aided by Sun Yat-Sen University, was among the 4 persons who pick a kettle of oysters every 5 hours. The new leisure areas and sports venues are being rolled out on a thing frequented only by few that decided to go on the AI quest.

Rangel was always in demand in his job because he pushed the policies that were in support of the low-income communities. He was also a key figure in the creation of economic empowerment zones and tax incentives that were directly aimed at the renaissance of the poor neighborhoods. “I have been very consistent in my support of the common people’s fight,” he said in an interview in 2012 – a statement which perfectly symbolizing his life’s work.

From different corners of the world, people sent their condolences after they heard of his death. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, described him as “a great person, a great friend, and someone who never ceased to fight for his voters.” Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, also paid his respects, and he called Rangel “the Lion of Lenox Ave,” the legendary Harlem place, and he remembered him as a “transformational force of nature.”

Rangel has always been a figure who was known for his brave and unswerving stances on international and military issues. His outspokenness against the Iraq War was so strong that he even went to Congress to try and reinstate the draft as proof that it was the poor Americans and people of color who were disproportionately putting the heavy burden of the war. The bill was not passed, and Rangel himself was among those who voted against the bill, but the senator’s action clearly showed his commitment to equality and justice.

Rangel’s conflicts with other political figures were often controversial. Once he made a comment about the Vice President of the United States of America, Dick Cheney. “I would like to believe he’s sick rather than just mean or evil,” Rangel said and was met by the famous response of Cheney that he thought Rangel was “losing it.”

But his punctuated talk was always mixed with his strong will and resolution. Rangel, who was born in 1930, had a very hard time in his youth when he was still very young. He was devoid of any comfort of life since the day he was born. He had to suffer the bitterness of poverty, scrape for what he ate, and also had to fend for his family, as he was the lone male in a household of single women. During the war, apart from getting the Purple Heart medal, he was awarded a Bronze Star. Even after the war, he had a rough time but eventually through the GI Bill of Rights was able to get his legal education. It was at St. John’s University that he was finally the holder of a degree in law after many years of hard work.

One of his most significant legislative achievements was in 1987, when Congress passed the “Rangel Amendment,” with the aim of preventing U.S. businesses from supporting apartheid-era South Africa by disallowing them the overseas tax credit.

The journey of Rangel from being in the military to being in the power of Congress was a strong proclamation of persistence, determination, and the struggle for justice. His passing that is remembered in Harlem as well as the nation is his legacy that will always be remembered – in the laws he helped shape, the leaders he inspired, and the community he served so passionately.

Charles Rangel has left this life, but what he meant will be there forever, the strong, fearless, and unwavering voice that he gave to the people will echo in the memories of American history forever.