Charles was born on September 9, 1938, in
New York City, to James Charles and Elizabeth Ann Hogan who were immigrants from the Caribbean. Charles' often devoted his attention in capturing the neighborhood of Harlem. In Harlem he would photograph the day-to-day life of the busy community. Among the iconic photos taken by Charles was one of human rights activist
Malcolm X holding an
M1 carbine while peering out a window. The photo, which Charles took for
Ebony, became emblematic of the determination of Malcolm X to protect his family "
by any means necessary". Charles died on December 15, 2017, in
East Harlem, aged 79. == Notable photographs ==