Former US representative Charles Rangel, a long -time Harlem Democrat, who served at the Congress for nearly 50 years, died on Monday at the age of 94.His family confirmed his death through a statement provided by the City College of New York. Rangel died in a hospital in New York City, news agency AP reported.Rangel, a Korean war veteran, started his political career in 1970 by defeating Adam Clayton Powell Jr. of the famous Harlem. He became one of the most prominent black politicians in the country, serving from 1971 to 2017.Rangel was the founding member of the Congress’s Black Cocks and became the first African American to preside over the powerful House Well and Means Committee in 2007. However, he later took over from the post and after violation of morality in 2010, the House censored by the House, Rangel remained a major force in the Congress.He was also the last surviving member of New York’s “Gang of Four”, a group of influential black political leaders including former Mayor David Davins of New York City, Persy Sutton, president of Manhattan Boro and official Basil Patterson, the official of the state.House Democratic leader Hakim Jeffrees called Rangel “a Patriot, Hero, Statesman, Leader, Trailblazer, Change Agent and Champion for Justice”.Known for his gravel voice and fiery speeches, Rangel was a fierce lawyer for Harlem and low -income communities. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once said that Rangel encouraged him to run to the US Senate in 2000. Former US President Bill Clinton also praised Rangel for his work for expanding tax credit for businesses in the struggling neighborhood.In 1987, the Congress passed the “apartheid amendment”, which cuts tax breaks for American firms investing in Rangdi-era South Africa.
