Charlie Rangel, the previous congressman who represented a number of New York districts throughout his four-decade profession, died on Monday (Could 26) on the age of 94. Rep. Charlie Rangel’s storied profession additionally included a stint within the navy, the place he turned a embellished conflict veteran earlier than finishing his highschool research and occurring to earn a regulation diploma, culminating in a protracted lifetime of public service.
Charlie Rangel was born Charles Bernard Rangel on June 11, 1930, in Harlem, N.Y. Rangel’s father was a local of Puerto Rico, and his mom was Black. As a younger man, Rangel, who was raised primarily by his mom, took odd jobs earlier than dropping out of highschool at 16. Rangel enlisted in the USA Military, serving between 1948 and 1952. He was a member of the all-Black 503rd Area Artillery Battalion within the 2nd Infantry Division.
Preventing within the Korean Conflict as a part of a racially segregated unit, Rangel’s actions led his fellow troopers to security, incomes him the Purple Coronary heart, Bronze Star, and three battle stars. Rangel returned house and accomplished his highschool research, then enrolled within the New York College College of Commerce. From there, Rangel went on to earn a regulation diploma from St. John’s College College of Regulation in 1960.
Rangel was named the Assistant U.S. Lawyer within the Southern District of New York by U.S. Lawyer Normal Robert F. Kennedy, staying within the function for a 12 months. Rangel, below the tutelage of civil rights activist and Assemblyman Percy Sutton, would later function a state assemblyman, starting his life in public workplace.
In 1970, Rangel challenged longtime congressman Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who fell out of favor within the public eye with some resulting from an ethics scandal, shedding his seat in 1967 however regaining it in 1969 after a U.S. Supreme Courtroom determination detailed within the Powell v. McCormack case.
Rangel would go on to serve 23 phrases in Congress earlier than retiring in 2017. Alongside the way in which, he was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and have become the primary Black chairman of the highly effective Methods and Means Committee within the U.S. Home of Representatives.
One of many hallmarks of Rangel was his no-nonsense method to working for his constituents and his capability to work throughout the aisle with the opposing events to get payments moved via the chamber. Rangel additionally had an affable character that resonated effectively along with his colleagues, and his distinctive New York accent was arduous to overlook.
As a member of the Gang of 4, which included David Dinkins, Basil Paterson, and the aforementioned Sutton. The quartet was notable for its ascension within the political realm.
In 2024, Rangel’s spouse of 60 years, Alma Carter, handed away. He’s survived by two kids, Steven and Alicia, and three grandsons.
On X, reactions to the passing of Rep. Charlie Rangel have cropped up. We’ve obtained them listed beneath.
[h/t CNN]
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Photograph: Tom Williams / Getty
Former Longtime Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel Dies At 94
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