Reflecting on the Legacy of Harlem’s Political Titan Charles B. Rangel

Charles B. Rangel—a Harlem-born political powerhouse who blazed a monumental path on Capitol Hill—passed away on May 26, 2025, at 94. Rangel, one of the longest-serving members of the U.S. House of Representatives, was a champion for community empowerment and civic engagement.

From war zones to Washington, the former legislator’s storied legacy is rooted in the power of service. In 1948, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War, where he garnered distinguished recognition for his heroism and was later bestowed with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Rangel would carry the perseverance and grit he developed during his time in the military into the realm of politics.

In 1961, he became an assistant U.S. attorney under the leadership of Robert M. Morgenthau. In 1966, he was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he would serve two consecutive terms. It was Rangel’s historic congressional win in 1970, when he was elected to represent the then 18th district of New York, that would cement him as a political force on the national stage. The milestone was a full-circle moment in his career as he was representing the Uptown community in Washington.

His time in the House of Representatives, which spanned 23 terms over 46 years, was filled with legislative firsts and wins. He co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus and became the first Black congressman to sit at the helm of the House Ways and Means Committee. It was also in this role that Rangel supported over 40 bills and resolutions, which were put into law, covering everything from healthcare and housing reform to economic development. He was part of the “Gang of Four,” a collective of Black barrier-breaking politicians that included Percy Sutton, David Dinkins, and Basil Paterson.

Although Rangel—often called the Lion of Lenox Avenue—used his political prowess to effect global change, he never strayed from Harlem. In 1994, he founded the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ), which officially became a nonprofit a year after its launch and is dedicated to economically uplifting under-resourced communities. Inspired by his commitment to addressing socioeconomic barriers to healthcare, the Rangel Community Health Center—staffed by Columbia doctors—opened in Harlem in 2015.

After retiring from office in 2017, Rangel made it his mission to use education as an avenue to inspire the next generation of civically engaged leaders through programs like the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program Graduate Fellowship at Columbia University and The City College of New York’s Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative.

He was an exemplar of what it means to stay rooted in your community and plant seeds of growth. On what would have been the statesman’s 95th birthday (June 11), Columbia University joins the individuals and institutions he impacted in honoring his legacy.

Here are a few community reflections: