PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (October 17, 2019) – U.S. Congressman Elijah M. Cummings, Representative from Maryland’s 7th District, died early Thursday morning at the age of 68 due to health complications, and his widow, a Prairie View A&M University alumna, was among the first to speak.
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings said in a statement posted by MD Democratic Party that her husband was “an honorable man who proudly served his district and the nation with dignity, integrity, compassion, and humility. 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.” She continued with, “I loved him deeply and will miss him dearly.” Cummings received her B.A. degree in political science from PVAMU in 1993.
PVAMU’s Student Government Association said via Twitter, “Remembering the Life and Legacy of Elijah Cummings. Thank you for fighting the good fight. #pvamu.”
According to www.cnbc.com, the lawmaker, who represented major parts of Baltimore and its outskirts since 1996, was seen as an advocate for cutting prescription drug prices, fighting addiction, strengthening gun control, and reforming the criminal justice system. Cummings gained more national prominence in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the widely covered death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, in Baltimore Police Department custody. His role as chair of the House Oversight Committee put him in the position of being a major foil to President Trump and in a leading spot in the chamber’s impeachment inquiry into the president.
You can read more about Cummings’ career here.