Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings died on Oct. 17, at the age of 68, after "complications concerning longstanding health challenges," according to his office. The son of sharecroppers, Cummings first won his congressional seat in 1996, eventually serving 12 terms in the House. His tenure was marked by a commitment to justice.
In a video from his first speech on the floor of the House of Representatives after taking office, Cummings speaks to the importance of taking action while you can.
Reading from a poem he says, "I only have a minute, 60 seconds in it. Forced upon me, I did not choose it, but I know that I must use it."
As Chairman of the House Oversight and Committee, Cummings was involved with impeachment proceedings. In his role as Chairman, he spoke at the hearing for Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer, and had the following to say about the principles with which our nation's public figures must hold themselves:
"When we’re dancing with the angels, the question we’ll be asked: In 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing?"
Throughout his long career, Cummings certainly did not.
Topics Social Good Politics
