When Charles Rangel first ran for office in 1966, he had already established a career of coming up in New York African-American politics the old-fashioned way. He served his country in uniform. He went to NYU and became an Alpha. He got a law degree from St. John's. He worked as a prosecutor in a Bobby Kennedy's Justice Department. He marched in Selma and secured a benefactor in the form of former Tuskeegee Airman and Boule member Percy Sutton. Before he ever set his name on a ballot, Charles Rangel had built a career by waiting his turn, not rocking the boat, and joining the ranks of the Harlem leadership class.
His benefactor, Percy Sutton, had a similar ladder upwards. Sutton went to Hampton, became a Kappa, also joined the Boule. Sutton built a career as a civil rights activist and became a prominent lawyer. Malcolm X was one of his many notable clients. Sutton went on to represent Harlem in the state Assembly. When he left that job to become Manhattan Borough President, his protege Rangel followed him to the Assembly. Sutton went on to own radio stations. One of the investors in that venture was David Dinkins.
Same story, more or less. Dinkins served in the Army and Marines, got a degree from Howard, became an Alpha. Like the others, he joined the Boule. After earning a law degree from Brooklyn Law School, Dinkins settled in Harlem and went up the ranks of the Democratic organization through civil rights activism. He worked varying positions in City administration. He later was elected to the New York Legislature and followed Sutton to become Manhattan Borough President. In 1989 he was elected Mayor of New York, the first African-American ever to win the office. Dinkins winning that office was a monumental feat that could not have happened without the support of Rangel, Sutton, and Basil Paterson.
Paterson's story isn't much different. He went to St. Johns after serving in the Army, earning both his bachelor's and law degrees. He became a Kappa, etc. With the assistance of his comrades, known as the "Gang of Four" or the "Harlem Clubhouse," Paterson was successful in engineering the election of his son, David Paterson, to his old seat representing Harlem in the New York State Senate. That would be the same David Paterson who was chosen by former Governor Eliot Spitzer to be his running mate in 2006. That choice was made public over dinner at the Four Seasons with Rangel and Sutton.
There isn't anything wrong with any of this...except everything. For too long, African-American politics and politicians have been playing a very comfortable and self-serving game. The Gang of Four has done some good things for Harlem and the African-American community at large, but when you look at the whole of it, it doesn't amount to much. Be it Rangel or Sutton, Paterson or Dinkins (to a much lesser extent), the notable distinctions of this "gang" have accrued to themselves and not the people they claim to represent. They are all a vivid example of the calcified, ensconced, and undistinguished leadership the African-American community has been burdened with for far too long.
Who would have thought that this gang's most distinguished accomplishment would be the near-collapse of Harlem Hospital, a cornerstone of the community since 1887.
Over in the 10th Congressional District here in Brooklyn, there is a Congressman by the name of Ed Towns. Town's story reads much like the four men above...military, college, fraternity, etc. Towns has been in Congress for 27 years. In fiscal year 2009, Towns brought home a grand total of $6.9 million to Brooklyn. The section he represents is the poorest in the borough. In contrast, Congressman Aaron Schock, a 27-year-old freshman Republican from Illinois brought home $19 million for his district. How does a freshman Republican in the minority do better for his ditrict than a 27-year veteran and committee chair? While Towns may not pay close attention to his district, he has managed to get his son, Darryl Towns, elected to the state Assembly. It's too easy to guess what his next move will be when dad retires. This nepotism and connections-based office-seeking has to end. It isn't producing better leadership.
Constituents need to begin to start taking a close look at people like Rangel and others and ask, "What do you actually do for us?" There needs to be more accountability for ethical lapses, ineffectiveness, and the most common problem in black leadership, lethargy. It is this lack of direct, vigorous accountability that leads to the ethical lapses of a Bill Jefferson or a Chuck Rangel. If there is never any challenge to their leadership, they will be become comfortable and eventually corrupt. The voters turning out Jefferson for a Republican is a good sign, but it would be better if Jefferson types were kept in check by more vigorously contested primaries.
Basil Paterson has moved on from politics, and soon so will his son. Dinkins has left the arena to teach at Columbia. Sutton passed away last year. And very soon, hopefully, the people of Harlem will move on from Charlie Rangel. A new generation of young black leaders is emerging, as exemplified by Barack Obama and others. However, unless people start holding these black leaders to higher standards and more accountability, we will continue to have unaccountable, ineffective, and lazy leadership.