The Forgotten Mothers of Harlem

I wish to express my sadness and disappointment with U.S. Representative Charles Rangel’s (D-Harlem) poor stewardship of the trust that the people of Harlem have for so long placed in him. For some, the first signs of Mr. Rangel’s moral and ethical deficiencies were manifested in the recent disclosures of his tax and housing improprieties (and I believe that these disclosures are only the tip of an iceberg of unethical, and perhaps unlawful, behavior by Mr. Rangel). I submit that an earlier and, in many ways, much more telling indication of Mr. Rangel’s moral and character deficiency is the ongoing ease and smugness with which he has breached the trust of his longtime constituents.

I was born and raised in Harlem. My friends and I grew up dodging the hordes of “nodding” heroin addicts on Eigth Avenue. We grew up in the mostly dilapidated apartments of Harlem. We suffered the heatless winters, the roaches, the rat bites, and other hard times. We saw our fathers work back-breaking jobs to try to feed, clothe, and shelter us. We saw our brothers and sisters die on the mean, tough streets of Harlem—victims of drug overdoses, knives, beatings, and bullets. We watched our mothers cry as their young men and women were ravaged by the overwhelming forces of drugs, crime, addiction, anger, hopelessness, and frustration. We, in turn, watched in pain and helplessness as the pain and burdens of their lives in Harlem took our mothers and fathers to early graves. We saw those mothers and fathers who did “survive” become increasingly broken down and beaten down. But many of them never lost hope and never lost faith. After all, there were those block parties, and rent parties, and churches on Sunday that, at least for a moment, made Harlem feel like the sweetest thing this side of heaven.

My friends and I often reminisce about our mothers’ and grandmothers’ Election Day rituals. We remember those great ladies getting up early in the morning, cooking breakfast for their families, getting the kids off to school, and, later, coming to the school to vote! And more than any other person, those mothers of Harlem voted for Charles Rangel.

The mothers of Harlem trusted Mr. Rangel. They were so sure that “Charlie” would look out for them. Even more important, they believed that he would do the right thing with their greatest treasure—their children. Well, what has he done with that trust? Has he looked out for their children? No! Instead, he has he allowed himself and others among the privileged and powerful to descend upon Harlem with a parasitic zeal to devour our homes, our hopes, and our beloved community.

Under the best-case scenario, by his incompetency, neglect, and malfeasance, Mr. Rangel has proven to be unworthy of the office to which we, the people of Harlem, elected him. Of course, if Mr. Rangel feels the slightest bit of guilt, he might find solace in the gratitude of both his new, more affluent constituents and the despicable corporate landlords who are evicting us from our homes.

Under the worst-case, and perhaps more likely scenario, Mr. Rangel’s greed and dishonesty have led him to become complicit in these parasites’ descent upon our financially vulnerable and weakened community. Now, it is not our children who are able to sleep in those Harlem beds and play in those Harlem streets and parks.

We understand and respect free enterprise and private ownership, but surely there was a better way for Mr. Rangel to balance these tenets while “keeping the faith” with the people upon whose shoulders he has stood as he climbed to the lofty heights of power. Perhaps this balance would not have earned him quite as sweet a deal as he has received from his benefactor at Lenox Terrace. But, after all, how much is enough, Mr. Rangel?

Only Representative Rangel can decide if the millions of dollars in profits from his friends is fair market value for his legacy and the respect of the people who have supported him for so long. The African diaspora was aided in no small part by greedy, treacherous, and ruthless men who were willing to sell their brothers and sisters into slavery. How many similarities exist between the mentality that contributed so greatly to that diaspora and Mr. Rangel’s mentality and role in the Harlem diaspora?

Despite his political power, Mr. Rangel will not be able to write the Charlie Rangel story. He, or others on his behalf, might pay revisionist writers to paint a flattering picture, but the truth will be told by the historians and griots of Harlem. Unless he makes good on the promises that he has breached, his legacy will be one of greed, betrayal, and gluttony. Even those whom he served and made rich will have no time or inclination to dispute that story once they have used him to satisfy their needs. Surely, the mothers of Harlem would want better for him.

The author is a Harlem resident.