Joint Center Mourns the Passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2019
Contact: press@jointcenter.org
Joint Center Mourns the Passing of Congressman Elijah Cummings
The following statement was issued by Spencer Overton, the President of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, on the passing of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, who represented Baltimore and served as Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform:
“On behalf of the Joint Center and our family of scholars, elected officials, and others who serve Black communities, I want to express our deep sorrow upon learning of the passing of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings”.
Congressman Cummings embodied the best in leadership in our nation. He was smart, thoughtful, and committed to facts and democratic values–he steered national policy debates and he defended constitutional principles. He was also committed to inclusion and opportunity–he had a common touch that gave voice to Americans from some of the most marginalized communities in our nation, and he also worked effectively with Americans from all racial, religious, and political backgrounds. Congressman Cummings was selfless–he always focused on service to others–to Baltimore, to Black communities nationwide, to our nation, and to future generations.
Personally, I have witnessed the many contributions of Congressman Cummings in time, energy, and insights to the Joint Center and to our fraternity Sigma Pi Phi. I know he made similar investments in countless other national and community organizations.
While all of our lives are much better due to the many contributions of Congressman Cummings and the model he set for us, we still feel great sadness and a major void with his passing. We will miss him. His wife Maya and his other family members and friends are in our thoughts and prayers.
Additional details on the amazing life of Congressman Cummings can be found in this congressional biography, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, and NPR (interview with NAACP LDF president and Baltimore resident Sherrilyn Ifill).
