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What Elijah Cummings meant to me What Elijah Cummings meant to me
(32 minutes later)
I remember the first time I met congressman Elijah Cummings. I was about 13 years old and representing the Baltimore NAACP Youth Council in an MLK Day Parade. “This is cool,” I thought. After all, who wouldn’t want to meet a congressman? I did not know much about him or his work, only that he was important enough to be on the evening news and frequently attended events in East and West Baltimore. I remember the first time I met congressman Elijah Cummings. I was about 13 years old and representing the Baltimore NAACP Youth Council in an MLK Day Parade. “This is cool,” I thought. After all, who wouldn’t want to meet a congressman? I did not know much about him or his work, only that he was important enough to be on the evening news and frequently attended events in east and west Baltimore.
He was almost like a superhero. Whenever he walked in the room, people stood up and clapped – the type of welcome usually reserved for guest preachers at church service. He shook all of our hands, asked us our names and what school we attended, and told us – matter-of-factly – that he was proud of us and that we represented the best of the future of our nation.He was almost like a superhero. Whenever he walked in the room, people stood up and clapped – the type of welcome usually reserved for guest preachers at church service. He shook all of our hands, asked us our names and what school we attended, and told us – matter-of-factly – that he was proud of us and that we represented the best of the future of our nation.
I believed him.I believed him.
We crossed paths again when I started an internship on Capitol Hill. The congressman was on an elevator, and immediately, I flashed my class ring and nervously blurted out all of these facts in what had to be less than five seconds. Soon after, I wondered whether he thought that I was some neurotic intern who just ruined one of his brief moments of peace. However, he smiled, laughed and responded, warmly in his gruff voice, “Young man, nice to meet you. I am proud of you. Baltimore needs young leaders like you to return home.” My trepidation quickly dissipated. Congressman Cummings, the favored son of Baltimore and a stalwart of civil rights was proud of me – wow.We crossed paths again when I started an internship on Capitol Hill. The congressman was on an elevator, and immediately, I flashed my class ring and nervously blurted out all of these facts in what had to be less than five seconds. Soon after, I wondered whether he thought that I was some neurotic intern who just ruined one of his brief moments of peace. However, he smiled, laughed and responded, warmly in his gruff voice, “Young man, nice to meet you. I am proud of you. Baltimore needs young leaders like you to return home.” My trepidation quickly dissipated. Congressman Cummings, the favored son of Baltimore and a stalwart of civil rights was proud of me – wow.
I saw him as a personal hero and started to see my own story in his, though his legacy is unmatched. We both graduated from the esteemed Baltimore City College high school. We both attended historically Black colleges with the hope of going to law school and returning to Baltimore – against all odds of our family’s circumstances. And I still have much to learn from his belief and practice that public service is the highest calling. As he often said, “our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see.” That explains why he fought so hard for his hometown and for the soul of this nation. He knew it was not just about him, but about the future – our collective future. I saw him as a personal hero and started to see my own story in his, though his legacy is unmatched. We both graduated from the esteemed Baltimore City College high school. We both attended historically black colleges with the hope of going to law school and returning to Baltimore – against all odds of our family’s circumstances. And I still have much to learn from his belief and practice that public service is the highest calling. As he often said, “our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see”. That explains why he fought so hard for his hometown and for the soul of this nation. He knew it was not just about him, but about the future – our collective future.
As his parent impressed upon him and as he indeed witnessed, the United States has not made any progress by mistake, but by steadfast, intentional efforts of those who spoke truth to power. He never stopped speaking, even as Baltimore was thrown into the national spotlight. Our city endured an uprising spurred by years of neglect and unchecked police violence. There is a distressing rise in homicides that local officials seem unequipped to properly handle. Disgraced politicians leave office in scandal and leave their constituents embarrassed. For many, this would be cause for hopelessness, an excuse to write the city off as a lost cause. And for a president, to calling people who live here, like me, my family, and neighbors, a place where humans beings would not live. As his parents impressed upon him and as he indeed witnessed, the United States has not made any progress by mistake, but by the steadfast, intentional efforts of those who spoke truth to power. He never stopped speaking, even as Baltimore was thrown into the national spotlight. Our city endured an uprising spurred by years of neglect and unchecked police violence. There is a distressing rise in homicides that local officials seem unequipped to properly handle. Disgraced politicians leave office in scandal and leave their constituents embarrassed. For many, this would be cause for hopelessness, an excuse to write the city off as a lost cause. And for a president, to calling people who live here, like me, my family, and neighbors, a place where humans beings would not live.
Yet, in the midst of it all our beloved congressman remained unwavering in his faith in the people of Baltimore to overcome these obstacles and to help it live up to its great potential. I will never forget watching him take to the streets of Baltimore during the 2015 uprising after Freddie Gray’s killing. I was away in law school and felt powerless, worried about my family, my community and the soul of our city. However, while the city took to the streets beneath an armed police occupation, congressman Cummings was out in the streets, calming the angry and hurt protesters, promising to make change in the future.Yet, in the midst of it all our beloved congressman remained unwavering in his faith in the people of Baltimore to overcome these obstacles and to help it live up to its great potential. I will never forget watching him take to the streets of Baltimore during the 2015 uprising after Freddie Gray’s killing. I was away in law school and felt powerless, worried about my family, my community and the soul of our city. However, while the city took to the streets beneath an armed police occupation, congressman Cummings was out in the streets, calming the angry and hurt protesters, promising to make change in the future.
As the country came to know him through his rejection of Donald Trump’s white nationalist antics, congressman Cummings’ fervor was not reserved for his district and the city of Baltimore. He loved his country. As ranking member and the chairman of the House oversight committee, congressman Cummings’ brought his fervor to what he called “the fight for the soul of our democracy”. And we must continue to fight. As the country came to know him through his rejection of Donald Trump’s white nationalist antics, congressman Cummings’ fervor was not reserved for his district and the city of Baltimore. He loved his country. As ranking member and the chairman of the House oversight committee, congressman Cummings brought his fervor to what he called “the fight for the soul of our democracy”. And we must continue to fight.
Now that he has transitioned, he has left a legacy of service for us all to learn from. In his first speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, he quoted a poem by Benjamin Elijah Mays, the former president of Morehouse College:Now that he has transitioned, he has left a legacy of service for us all to learn from. In his first speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, he quoted a poem by Benjamin Elijah Mays, the former president of Morehouse College:
I have only just a minute, Only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can’t refuse it. Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it. But it’s up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it. Give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.I have only just a minute, Only sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, can’t refuse it. Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it. But it’s up to me to use it. I must suffer if I lose it. Give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute, but eternity is in it.
Elijah Cummings did not waste his minute of eternity. Hopefully, his death will leave us all asking, what have we done with ours?Elijah Cummings did not waste his minute of eternity. Hopefully, his death will leave us all asking, what have we done with ours?
Leland Shelton is an attorney from Baltimore Leland Shelton is an attorney from Baltimore.
Leland Shelton is an attorney from Baltimore Leland Shelton is an attorney from Baltimore.
House of RepresentativesHouse of Representatives
OpinionOpinion
BaltimoreBaltimore
US politicsUS politics
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