Former U.S. Representative Charles Rangel, a pivotal figure in New York politics, is being honored as his body lies in state at New York City Hall.
This rare privilege is typically reserved for a select few, including esteemed figures like Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.
Rangel, who passed away at the age of 94 on May 26 in a New York hospital, devoted nearly five decades to public service on Capitol Hill.
He was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, leaving behind a profound legacy of leadership and activism.
His funeral is scheduled for Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in midtown Manhattan, following a wake held on Tuesday in Harlem, where he was born and raised.
Rangel earned the affectionate nickname “Lion of Lenox Avenue” for his robust presence and advocacy for his community.
On Wednesday, his body was brought to City Hall for a private viewing, where family members had the chance to say their goodbyes.
The viewing for the public commenced on Thursday morning, amidst the hustle and bustle of tourists and local workers in the area.
Attendees entered the City Hall’s marbled rotunda, where Rangel’s casket rested, draped in an American flag, as uniformed police stood at attention on either side, flanked by state and national flags.
Mike Keogh, a lobbyist and former city council staffer, fondly recalled Rangel’s impactful voice in New York politics.
Keogh stated, “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.”
Among the mourners was Tina Marie, a Harlem native who reminisced about Rangel’s role in the influential Gang of Four, a group of Black political leaders who emerged to prominence in the city during the late 20th century.
Along with Rangel, this elite group included David Dinkins, New York’s first Black mayor; Percy Sutton, the former Manhattan Borough president; and Basil Paterson, a former deputy mayor and New York secretary of state.
Marie expressed her sentiments, stating, “I didn’t agree with all the things they did, but they stood up for people who couldn’t stand up for themselves.”
Rangel’s recognition at City Hall places him among other notable figures, including statesman Henry Clay and Civil War generals Abner Doubleday and Joseph Hooker.
The most recent individual to lie in state at this site was City Councilman James Davis, who was tragically assassinated in 2003.
After the public viewing, which is set to conclude at 5 p.m. on Thursday, an honor guard ceremony will take place, featuring pallbearers from the famed 369th Regiment, an all-Black military unit known as the Harlem Hellfighters from World War I.
Rangel’s funeral on Friday will also be open to the public and livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
Rangel’s storied political career began when he defeated the legendary Harlem politician Adam Clayton Powell in 1970, marking the start of his tenure in Congress.
He eventually became the dean of the New York congressional delegation and notably served as the first African American chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in 2007.
Despite facing controversy and censure from his peers in 2010 due to an ethics scandal, Rangel continued to serve in Congress until his retirement in 2017, solidifying his status as one of the longest-serving members in history.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to social media to praise Rangel, calling him a “patriot, hero, statesman, leader, trailblazer, change agent and champion for justice” upon news of his passing last month.
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