New Haven Independent

Father Howard Blunt was presiding over the funeral Wednesday night of a memorable son of New Haven, former Alderman and State Sen. Chuck Allen.

The funeral took place at St. Philip’s Church in Harlem, where Allen spent the last years of his life living with his partner, Tod Roulette, and battling cancer. He died after 13 surgeries. Click here for a previous story discussing his impact on New Haven, where he was for decades he had a reputation as one of the most intelligent, critical thinkers on citywide issues as well as an unpredictable, engaging warrior in the political trenches.

Click on the play arrow to watch highlights of the funeral.

Speakers included Harlem State Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright, who read this statement written by New Haven Mayor John DeStefano (“Chuck was a New Haven original in every way you could imagine”); former Newhallville Alderman Willie Greene, who in addition to memorializing Allen’s community work took some shots at the mayor; New Haven developer/ architect Wendell Harp, who compared Allen to Joshua in the Old Testament; and another former Newhallville alderwoman, Teddi Glover.

Father Blunt spoke of visiting Allen in the hospital while he was recovering from one of his 13 surgeries, his life heading toward its end. He expected to find Allen laid up in bed. Instead, a nurse directed him to a computer room. There, Allen was working on volunteering his expertise — he was an accountant as well as one of the city’s savviest political strategists — to a New Haven group working on health care challenges facing blacks and Hispanics.

The funeral took place on the same day that Jason Bartlett of Connecticut became the first sitting black state legislator in the country to come out of the closet. Chuck Allen, too, was a gay black legislator; he came out years later, in 2004, in an interview found, in installments, here, here, and here.

One block away at 2291 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. (near 135th St.), soul and spirit were nurtured in a different way: with the sumptuous, healthful dishes served at a year-old vegan soul food spot called Cafe Veg.

A heaping plate of moist, spicy Spring Soy Chicken, tender sweet potatoes, sublime okra, delicate yet crisp string beans … all for $8? New Haven sent Harlem Chuck Allen. Could Harlem send New Haven some of this food?