#Cousins; it is with an extremely heavy heart we inform you of the immediate and unexpected passing of #Maryland Democrat #ElijahCummings .
According to #USAToday Cummings passed away early this morning around 2:30am within Gilchrist Hospice Care, affiliated with Johns Hopkins Hospital. His office describes his cause of death as being due to, “complications concerning longstanding health challenges.”
Cummings’s wife Maya Rockeymore, Chairwoman of the Democratic party has released an official statement this morning; “Congressman Cummings was an honorable man who proudly served his district and the nation with dignity, integrity, compassion and humility,” she states.
“He worked until his last breath because he believed our democracy was the highest and best expression of our collective humanity and that our nation’s diversity was our promise, not our problem. It has been an honor to walk by his side on this incredible journey. I loved him deeply and will miss him dearly.”
Cummings was born and raised in #Baltimore , #Maryland and #HBCU graduate from #HowardUniversity. Early within his career Cummings served as both a lawyer and judge—he was soon elected into the Maryland house of delegates in 1983 and served until 1996. Cummings created history in 1995 becoming the first African-American to serve as a speaker pro tempore. He was then officially elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 after a special election.
Cummings remained in his native city of Baltimore throughout his life because he wanted to help shift societal injustice against his people. As Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, Cummings provided honor and diligence to a corrupted system and always stuck to his morals of calling out informal injustices.
America has lost a great man. A noble man. It was a true honor, thank you for everything Mr.Cummings.