Former U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, a towering figure in American politics, was honored at New York City Hall on Thursday as his body lay in state, marking a rare distinction reserved for only a few notable figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.
Rangel, who passed away on May 26 at the age of 94, represented Harlem for nearly five decades and was a prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus, serving as the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
As mourners began to gather at City Hall, the iconic neoclassical building near the Brooklyn Bridge buzzed with the activity of tourists and city workers.
Inside the marbled rotunda, Rangel’s closed casket was adorned with an American flag, while uniformed police officers stood in solemn formation on either side, flanked by state and national flags.
Among those honoring Rangel was Mike Keogh, a lobbyist and former city council staffer who reflected on Rangel’s magnetic presence in politics. “He had the greatest voice in New York politics at the time. It was so rich and so full. It just made you feel really warm to be around him and to really hang on every word,” Keogh recalled.
Tina Marie, a longtime Harlem resident, also came to pay her respects, remembering Rangel as part of the influential Gang of Four—four Black political leaders from Harlem who shaped the city’s political landscape from the 1970s through the 1990s, including David Dinkins and Percy Sutton.
Marie expressed her gratitude for Rangel’s dedication to social justice: “I didn’t agree with all the things they did, but they stood up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves.”
Louisa Ruiz, a 75-year-old volunteer from Rangel’s initial congressional campaign in 1970, shared her memories of working tirelessly to help him win his first election. “We were out at 6 o’clock in the morning handing out flyers, then again at 6 o’clock in the afternoon you go back,” she said.
Rangel joins a prestigious list of honored individuals who have lay in state at City Hall, including former statesman Henry Clay, publisher Horace Greeley, and Civil War generals Abner Doubleday and Joseph Hooker. The last City Hall funeral was for City Councilman James Davis, who was murdered in the council chambers in 2003.
Public viewing for Rangel began Thursday morning, with a ceremonial honor guard later that evening featuring pallbearers from the distinguished 369th Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, an all-Black unit from World War I.
Prominent political figures took the stage during the ceremony to celebrate Rangel’s legacy. Hilary Rodham Clinton praised Rangel for his unwavering support and ability to inspire action in others: “I think of so many times when Charlie Rangel had the right thing to say, got you to do something you didn’t think you wanted to do and made it all seem like it was your idea.”
Clinton reminisced with a smile about how Rangel had encouraged her to run for the Senate seat she successfully won in 2000.
Rangel’s funeral is scheduled for Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown Manhattan, welcoming the public and livestreamed for those unable to attend.
Earlier this week, a wake was held in Harlem, a neighborhood significant to Rangel’s life, where he was born and raised, earning the nickname the “Lion of Lenox Avenue.”
His groundbreaking political career began in 1970 when he defeated the legendary Adam Clayton Powell to secure his congressional seat.
Rangel became a key figure in American politics, serving as the dean of the New York congressional delegation and making history in 2007 as the first African American to chair the influential Ways and Means Committee.
Despite being censured in 2010 for an ethics scandal, which was the most significant punishment short of expulsion, Rangel continued to serve in Congress until his retirement in 2017.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lauded Rangel posthumously, calling him a “patriot, hero, statesman, leader, trailblazer, change agent and champion for justice” following news of his death last month.
As New Yorkers gather to celebrate the life and contributions of Charles Rangel, memories shared by mourners underscore the profound impact he had on the community, state, and nation.
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