Remembering Representative Elijah E. Cummings

By Stephen Rumbolo

October 17, 2019

Early in the morning on October 17th, 2019, famed civil rights activist and member of the House of Representatives, Elijah Cummings passed away due to “complications concerning long-standing health challenges” according to a statement made by the late representatives’ office. Cummings, who had represented the city of Baltimore since the ’90s was regarded by politicians on both sides of the isle as a man of strong faith and principle. In his youth, Elijah Cummings was a staunch ally of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., oftentimes marching, or protesting right beside the Civil Rights movement icon. This commitment to equal justice under the law, and in practice, was a hallmark of Representative Cummings’s time in government, often supporting progressive movements that dealt with the issue. Also during his time in the House, he assumed the position of chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee which was shaping up to be one of the most important roles in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Representative Cummings will be remembered as a man of principle, never afraid to speak against the crowd, and always willing to use his voice for the voiceless.