Congressman Charles B. Rangel, co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the man who gave the organization its name, had flags lowered in his honor throughout New York on Tuesday, as ordered by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The flags were flown at half-mast today. Mr. Rangel died on May 26, 2025. He was 94.

“Charlie was a powerful voice in government and politics, and we remember him today for not only leading his life as a public servant of this great State but also for his dedicated service to our military in the Korean War,” Governor Hochul said. “A fierce advocate for equal opportunity and a voice for Harlem, Representative Rangel’s legacy shows us what we can accomplish as determined legislators. My thoughts are with all who loved him.”

Founded on January 4, 1969, the Congressional Black Caucus was known initially as the Democratic Select Committee. The name was formally changed to the Congressional Black Caucus following a motion by Rangel in February 1971. 

Representative Charles C. Diggs Jr. was elected as the first Chair of the CBC. 

Founding members included Representatives Shirley A. Chisholm (D-NY), William L. Clay (D-MO), George W. Collins (D-IL), John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), Ronald V. Dellums (D-CA), Charles C. Diggs Jr. (D-MI), Augustus F. Hawkins (D-CA), Ralph H. Metcalfe (D-IL), Parren J. Mitchell (D-MD), Robert N.C. Nix Sr. (D-PA), Louis Stokes (D-OH), and Washington, D.C., delegate Walter E. Fauntroy.

Rangel’s 46 years in Congress led him to become the ninth-longest-serving member in the House, where he backed the Affordable Care Act, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and sponsored more than 40 pieces of legislation that became law.

His district, always based in Harlem, included the

18th district (1971–1973), the 19th district (1973–1983), the 16th district (1983–1993), the 15th district (1993–2013), and the 13th district (2013–2017).

Born in Harlem, Representative Rangel dedicated his life to public service beginning in 1970, when he was first elected to Congress after defeating Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. 

Mr. Rangel retired from Congress on January 3, 2017. 

Before politics, Representative Rangel earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his U.S. Army service during the Korean War.

He was an Army staff sergeant with the 503rd Artillery Battalion and the 2nd Infantry Division. He was in the service from 1940 to 1952.

After leaving the Army, He earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University and a law degree from St. John’s University.

A history-maker and lifelong Democrat, he was the last surviving member of Harlem’s politically powerful “Gang of Four,” which included Mayor David Dinkins, New York Deputy Mayor Basil Patterson, and former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton.