Elijah Eugene Cummings was an American civil rights advocate who was also a highly respected political leader. At a tender age of 11, he began his long push for civil rights by integrating a swimming pool in Baltimore. Cummings recalled how he and other black children organized a protest with help from their recreation leader and the NAACP. When children tried to get into a pool, they were spat on and called names, and even Cummings remembers one time when he was cut by a bottle thrown from an angry crowd.
He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1996 until he died in 2019. Elijah worked hard and rose to leadership and fought for what is right. He graduated with honors from Baltimore City College then later attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. Moreover, he held the second-highest position in the House of Delegates and was the first African American in the history of Maryland history to be named Speaker Pro Tempore.
Elijah Cummings believed in the good of humanity and fought for facial justice and was a formidable orator who advocated for the poor in his black-majority district. He also served on several boards and commissions, both in and out of Baltimore, and for 14 years served in the Maryland House of Delegates. Cummings urged the government officials to stop making hateful, incendiary comments that distract the nation from its real problems such as mass shootings and white supremacy.
Elijah Cummings Quotes
The following are some of Elijah Cummings quotes.
- “I think it’s important for industry to do well. But I want them to do well and do good at the same time.”
- “You’re saying to the people of the United States that you all made no mistakes. I’ve got to go back to my district and explain to them why we’ve got a federal agency that, to me, made some mistakes and won’t admit it.”
- “We cannot win this race by doing the same thing we’ve been doing. I thank Howard Dean for making my little girls dream and my dream his dream.”
- “The innovation coming from student entries always amazes me.”
- “Our practice on this Committee is to give witnesses an opportunity to clarify their testimony, and that is what Mr. Cohen has done.”
- “It seems as if there are some police who believe that it is their job to not only arrest, but to convict and punish severely, unreasonably and unjustly at the scene of arrest defendants and suspects.”
- “You’ve got a number of members of Congress that are a bit frustrated, … And I’d venture to guess it’s probably on both sides. When you hear things like that, it is frustrating.”
- “They were irresponsible, incredibly disrespectful, and did not reflect reality.”
- “Our ultimate goal must be to serve the interest of the children and families of Flint.”
- “We believe 300 to 400 troops going in there, along with our allies, could bring about the peace. There is controversy about whether Mr. Aristide should stay or go, but the fact is you are not even going to be able to do a new and peaceful election unless we bring some type of order.”
- “They are not refugees. I hate that word.”
- “The U.S. Census Bureau acknowledged this fact when it reported that those with a bachelor’s degree earn on average $1 million more over their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma.”
- “More than 26,000 lives may be lost to the effects of drug abuse this year. This tragic impact is felt in communities across this great nation. Sadly, many of these deaths occur among our young people.”
- “You’re saying to the people of the United States that you all made no mistakes. I’ve got to go back to my district and explain to them why we’ve got a federal agency that, to me, made some mistakes and won’t admit it.”
- “It gives a sense to the world that they are trying to be sure that they’re involved in the inclusion revolution.”
- “Most of us are trying to set some kind of decent example for kids. What kind of message is that sending?”
- “I was in special ed, but I felt like I was a caged bird. I felt like I could do better. I made sure I mastered my special ed lessons. I made sure I listened to my teacher. I made sure I did my homework, but I had to do a little extra.”
- “I love Starbucks, but I also want our children to become the doctors and the scientists. I want them to become those who cure disease and bring new life to life.”
- “The president’s assertion does not change the fact that the attorney general and the secretary of commerce are sadly in contempt.”
- “Many of these Americans who are struggling to survive are Americans of color. Their cries for assistance confront America with a test of our moral compass as a nation.”
- “It was to carry the American democratic journey beyond these failings that Black citizens and civil rights workers risked unemployment, violence and death.”
- “Baltimore will do extremely well, but that’s not the question. The question is whether all of Baltimore will rise together, or will we leave some behind?”
- “The innovation coming from student entries always amazes me.”
- “Fueling momentum for the legislation has been a feeling that Palmeiro’s suspension was an affront to Congress. Appearing before a House committee in March, the Orioles slugger swore under oath he had never used steroids.] He got the confidence of all of us, we thought he was a stand-up guy.”
- “We can no longer have a city where there are some people on the outside clamoring to get in.”
- “From my own life experience, I can attest that we have come a long way toward universal justice in this country, but we are not there yet.”
- “I realized that with African American people, where we’ve been blocked from being all that God meant for us to be, I don’t have time to be patient.”
- “It gives a sense to the world that they are trying to be sure that they’re involved in the inclusion revolution.”
- “I’m going to study the transcript first, that’s No. 1. I’m going to see what the allegations are and then I’ll go from there.”
- “Typically diagnosed during childhood and adolescent years, juvenile diabetes, also referred to as Type I diabetes, currently affects more than 3 million Americans and more than 13,000 children are diagnosed each year.”
- “By providing students in our Nation with such an education, we help save our children from the clutches of poverty, crime, drugs, and hopelessness, and we help safeguard our Nation’s prosperity for generations yet unborn.”
- “You’re saying to the people of the United States that you all made no mistakes. I’ve got to go back to my district and explain to them why we’ve got a federal agency that, to me, made some mistakes and won’t admit it.”
- “The committee needs to hear directly from the heads of these agencies as soon as possible in light of the almost daily reports of abuse and defiance.”
- “My mom and dad, although they may not have had a lot of formal education, they were two of the most brilliant people that I know.”
- “It seems as if there are some police who believe that it is their job to not only arrest, but to convict and punish severely, unreasonably and unjustly at the scene of arrest defendants and suspects.”
- “Voting is crucial, and I don’t give a damn how you look at it: there are efforts to stop people from voting. That’s not right. This is not Russia. This is the United States of America.”
- “Our country is slowly but surely moving – and I’ve seen it over and over again in many instances in government – toward a culture of mediocrity.”
- “Any little thing can spark the situation to get out of hand and we cannot afford that, we’re better than that.”
- “We conveyed to the president the urgent need for the United States to actively insert itself in the crisis and for the president to personally become engaged in what may become a human catastrophe in our own hemisphere.”
- “Every time something bad happens to me, I don’t ask the question, ‘Why did it happen to me?’ The question I ask is, ‘Why did it happen for me?”
- “This complaint reads more like political talking points than a reasoned legal brief, and it contains a litany of inaccurate information.”
- “Our children are the living messages we send to a future we will ever see. Will we rob them of their destiny? Will we rob them of their dreams? No we will not do that.”
- “He made it clear he’s going to stay in the race. It became abundantly clear to us that this is about Ralph Nader, and we were sorely disappointed.”
- “My life is based on pain, passion, and purpose.”
- “In the same vein as these events, National Minority Health Month also serves as a reminder of how much work needs to be done to eliminate health and healthcare inequities.”
- “When I became a lawyer, no one asked me if I had spent some time in special ed. All they wanted was a good lawyer.”
- “African-American women account for 67 percent of all newly diagnosed female AIDS cases.
- ” From my own life experience, I can attest that we have come a long way toward universal justice in this country, but we are not there yet.”
- “From my own life experience, I can attest that we have come a long way toward universal justice in this country, but we are not there yet.”
- “When you’ve got integrity, which Rod Rosenstein has, you don’t have to go figure out what a poll says, you just do what you know is right.”
Elijah Cummings Tribute Video
Elijah Cummings passed away in October 2019. The House of Representatives paid tribute and observed a moment of silence for him. This is a very touching tribute and worth a watch!
Conclusion
Elijah Cummings was an honorable man and served his district with dignity and integrity. He was dedicated to his work and uplifting his hometown’s black community. While serving in the Maryland house of Delegates from 1983 to 1996, cummings pushed for a ban on alcohol and tobacco ads on inner city billboard in Baltimore which was the first such prohibition in a large U.S city. After reading through this detailed article, you now know of his inspirational quotes which you can use to better your life.
Image Credit: via WikiMedia Commons w:en:User:Dmcdevit
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