A Tribute to Elijah Cummings

Elijah Cummings

A true American statesman who courageously spoke truth to power.

Elijah Cummings did not live long enough. But even if he had lived over a 100 years, it would not have been long enough. Politicians like Elijah Cummings are too rare. Rarer still in the state of Maryland.

Maryland politics has a reputation for corruption. Spiro Agnew was our governor. My grandfather went into Maryland politics in the 1940s and was quickly appointed the State Secretary of Agriculture (which was a big position). But he left Maryland politics within 2 years.

“Too dirty,” he said and never discussed it.

In Maryland it was easy for Elijah Cummings to stand out. He had a reputation for honesty, was an eloquent speaker and a great intellect. He was an activist for African Americans especially those in his Baltimore district. He never forgot rocks that had been thrown at him when his group tried to integrate a Baltimore community pool in 1962.

Nancy Pelosi called Cummings her North Star because he was committed to the future generations. He saw himself as a person whose job it was to protect the US for our children and our children’s children. He never lost sight of the poor, the needy and the newest members of our country.

He was a fierce foe of the current administration. He told Trump that “we don’t need to be doing mean things. We don’t need to be just representing 30-something percent of the people that like us. You need to represent all the people.”

I am sure that the Trump administration is secretly glad that he is gone. But America isn’t.

Elijah Cummings did not live long enough, but people like him never do.

Photo Credit: Salwan Georges/The Washington Post