A war hero, a legislative giant, and a Harlem son, Congressman Charles Rangel has died at 94. From the front lines of the Korean War to the halls of Congress, Rangel was a fighter. He earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star in combat and later became one of the most powerful lawmakers in Washington, representing Harlem for 46 years.
He co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus and broke barriers as the first Black chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rangel wasn’t just making history — he was making policy. He led the charge on the Affordable Care Act, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Caribbean Basin Initiative, and even authored the Rangel Amendment, which helped end apartheid in South Africa.
After leaving Congress in 2017, he kept working — launching a workforce initiative to train young people in infrastructure jobs in the very community that raised him. Rangel said he never forgot where he came from — and Harlem never forgot him.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
