We lost a true public servant this week with the death of Congressman Elijah Cummings.😢😢

When the history books are written about this tumultuous era, I want them to show that I was among those in the House of Representatives who stood up to lawlessness and tyranny.

Read my statement supporting impeachment: https://t.co/xppt73HN6k

— Elijah E. Cummings (@RepCummings) September 24, 2019

Rep. Elijah Cummings, Baltimore civil rights advocate and leader in Trump impeachment inquiry, dies

By JEFF BARKER
BALTIMORE SUN |
OCT 17, 2019 | 9:07 AM

U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore, a committee chairman known for his devotion to Baltimore and civil rights and for blunt and passionate speechmaking, died of longstanding health problems early Thursday morning, his office said. He was 68 years old.

The Democrat, a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, died at Gilchrist Hospice Care at approximately 2:45 A.M., a spokeswoman said.

Cummings, who had been absent from Capitol Hill in recent weeks while under medical attention, had health issues in recent years. In 2017, he underwent an aortic valve replacement. The procedure, which aides described as minimally invasive in Cummings’ case, is used to correct narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart. The surgery led to an infection that kept him in the hospital longer than expected. He was later hospitalized for a knee infection, but he said this summer that his health was fine.

………………………………………….
A former Maryland state delegate and trial attorney, Cummings became a national figure in 2019 as chairman of the committee. With Democrats assuming the House majority after the 2018 elections, he won the ability to demand documents related to Trump’s personal finances and policies, as well as possible abuses at federal agencies in the Trump administration.

Pundits had speculated before the change of power in the House that Cummings, who could be boisterous in his questioning of witnesses, might become a “nightmare” for Trump, a Republican.

“Are we going to be the nightmare? It’s in the eyes of the beholder,” he told The Baltimore Sun before ascending to the chairmanship.

……………………………

Cummings was born in 1951 and raised in Baltimore, where he continued to live.

He was one of seven children of Robert Cummings Sr. and Ruth Elma Cummings, née Cochran, who were sharecroppers on land where their ancestors were enslaved. The couple moved to Baltimore in the late 1940s.
As a child, Cummings struggled in elementary school and was assigned to special education courses. However, after showing promise in high school at City College, he won Phi Beta Kappa honors at Howard University in Washington. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law and passed the state bar in 1976.

After graduating from law school, Cummings joined a small Baltimore law firm and later set up his own practice, pooling expenses with two other lawyers. He soon transitioned to his second aspiration as a public servant. His longtime mentor is Larry Gibson, the Baltimore attorney and author who was active in the 1960s civil rights movement.
In 1982, with the support of several established city officials, Cummings ran for state delegate and won. He served in the Maryland General Assembly for 14 years and became the first African American in Maryland history to be named speaker pro tem.

In late 1995, Cummings decided to run for Maryland’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House after Rep. Kweisi Mfume announced he would resign to become the head of the NAACP. Cummings served as a congressman since 1996.

Cummings was an active member of New Psalmist Baptist Church — he was there habitually for an early service — and was married to Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who was elected chair of the Maryland Democratic Party in December 2018.

“It’s been an honor to walk by his side on this incredible journey,” his wife said in a statement. “I loved him deeply and will miss him dearly.”

Here's a look back at the amazing legacy and life of Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings in photos and video.

The legendary Congressman died this morning at the age of 68.#RipElijah #RIPElijahCummings #RIPSir #RIPhttps://t.co/pcYcHq0BYp

— NewsOne (@newsone) October 17, 2019

Black bunting is now draped over the office of ⁦@RepCummings⁩ in honor of his life & legacy. ⁦@fox5dc⁩ ⁦@FoxNews⁩ pic.twitter.com/IufKrf4I7a

— Melanie Alnwick (@fox5melanie) October 17, 2019

 https://twitter.com/jheil/status/1184799155140595712

The enormous loss of Elijah Cummings, the son of sharecroppers, born in 1951 when America was still in the midst of state-sanctioned racial segregation, is a reminder to interview your parents & grandparents while we have them. Capture their stories of the America we never saw. https://t.co/5jHZzKFXxO

— Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) October 17, 2019

Such a huge loss. One of the things I admired about Rep. Elijah Cummings was his life story, the son of sharecropper's with little education who migrated North for a better life. Even after that they were still met with racial intimidation and violence, such as this at a pool. pic.twitter.com/K6J5SJpeux

— ReclaimingMyTime (@MonieTalks_1) October 17, 2019

 Charlie Pierce on Congressman Cummings

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a29500923/elijah-cummings-obituary-constitution-winter-soldier/

Gennette Cordova (@GNCordova) Tweeted:
I just learned that Elijah Cummings was put in special education until a teacher realized that he was just overly inquisitive, not mischievous. This still happens to Black children, all too often, throughout country. https://twitter.com/GNCordova/status/1184914037403860992?s=17

How Elijah Cummings Helped Blow Up The Census Citizenship Question

How Elijah Cummings Helped Blow Up The Census Citizenship Question https://t.co/GFFYU8ICqV via @TPM

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 17, 2019

Baller. https://t.co/MUWPLJ3ER5

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) October 17, 2019

VIDEO: @KamalaHarris honors her fellow @HowardUniv Bison @RepCummings

"He was an incredible public servant. He gave his entire lfie to a fight for justice." pic.twitter.com/DEee0ZHl3F

— Tim Perry (@tperry518) October 17, 2019

Elijah Cummings. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/ORw6LFbvf2

— Pia Guerra (@PiaGuerra) October 17, 2019

If you want to know the kind of evil we’re up against with the MAGA cult, please note: they’re on here this morning celebrating the death of Elijah Cummings. These people are ghouls. They must be completely defeated. No making nice. No reaching across the aisle. No mercy.

— Tim Wise (@timjacobwise) October 17, 2019

Thread

We –
the nation,
the City of Baltimore,
the State of Maryland,
and the United States Congress – have all suffered a tremendous loss. pic.twitter.com/W7WYqerhIK

— The Black Caucus (@TheBlackCaucus) October 17, 2019

Thread

I first met @RepCummings at @MorganStateU in 1996 not long after he won his seat in Congress. He was walking the campus and stopped me to ask about my experience at an HBCU. My father was gravely ill and I told him how the support at Morgan was the only thing keeping me going.

— Sylvia K. Alston (@SylviaKAlston) October 17, 2019

Michelle and I are heartbroken over the passing of our friend, Elijah Cummings. May his example inspire more Americans to pick up the baton and carry it forward in a manner worthy of his service. pic.twitter.com/lM2rES3PNV

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 17, 2019

“Born a sharecropper’s son on Jan. 18, 1951, Cummings was told he was too slow to learn and spoke poorly, and he would never fulfill his dream of becoming a lawyer. He died at 68 as one of the most powerful committee chairmen in the U.S. House.” https://t.co/YepSbfo1Yk

— Errin Haines 🐴🤠🇺🇸🍑 (@errinhaines) October 17, 2019

His haunting words. I never forget them: "This is about the fight for the soul of our democracy." #ElijahCummings

— Lynn V (@lynnv378) October 17, 2019

More than 20 years ago, I traveled to Israel as part of @RepCummings’ Youth Program. My first international experience. It recast me. When we returned, he encouraged me to attend Howard University.

He was always supportive. He was a champion for Baltimore.

He will be missed.

— Victor Blackwell CNN (@VictorBlackwell) October 17, 2019

I remember Elijah Cummings as a delegate from the 39th District in the General Assembly, a junior member of the old Mitchell organization. He outlasted that machine and so many other ambitious politicians and he did it by being a good man and a committed civil servant. Sad day.

— David Simon (@AoDespair) October 17, 2019

https://twitter.com/owillis/status/1184848439189872645