My Tribute to My Hero and Mentor Congressman Charlie Rangel
By Rosa Whitaker
I thought I would be more prepared for the news I received today—that my dear former boss, adopted father, and one of the most towering influences in my life, former Congressman Charlie Rangel, had transitioned from labor to reward at the age of 94—weeks short of 95. That he passed on Memorial Day feels especially poignant—this decorated Korean War veteran who served his country in uniform long before he served it in Congress, now rests among the heroes he so deeply honored.
I was bracing for this. I know the statistics—the passing of the elderly often follows closely after the loss of a beloved spouse. Charlie recently lost his dear wife, Alma. They were inseparable. But like every challenge I had seen him face over the decades,he braved it with characteristic resilience and unwavering optimism.
We even spoke of this day—the day the news of his passing would come. He reminded me of his book, “And I Haven’t Had a Bad Day Since,” and the miracle that his life had been. I told him once, half-joking, that I needed 115 years from him. With that classic Rangel humor and twinkle in his eye, he shot back: “Oh, I thought you were giving me a lucky number to play!”
In our many recent conversations, we spoke about Africa, about the urgent challenges facing our country, about the hope that must never die. I reassured him: he had influenced and raised an army of people like me—people committed to continuing the fight for the America he helped build. I told him not to worry. And now, I pray that those of us who were mentored, supported, and inspired by him will make good on that promise.
Our last conversation was while he was recovering during a rare hospital stay. We decided to postpone my planned visit until he returned home. There was never a hint that there would be no visit. That was Charlie—the miracle of his life fueled a faith that anything was possible.
He remained a believer in limitless possibilities to the end. Still working, still dreaming, still shaping minds—he was excited about his mentorship and training program for young people at CUNY. He was deeply engaged in preserving and building on the hard- won gains of the civil rights movement and pushing for the reauthorization of AGOA. Even in these unprecedented and challenging times, Charlie was still leading and still believing in the best of America.
I reminded him then—and I remind all of us now—that his legacy, his policies, and his example have ignited generations of Americans and will continue to do so for generations yet unborn.
How blessed we are that Charlie Rangel lived.
How honored we are that he served.
And how grateful we must be that he led—with courage, with conviction, and with an optimism that refused to die.