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News & Photos
"Go Out and Be Leaders," Cummings Tells Upper Schoolers
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD-7th) delivered a passionate and powerful speech to upper schoolers and teachers in the Ceres M. Horn Theatre on March 13. Invited by the Black Awareness Club, Cummings spoke at a special convocation in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I like the idea that people go around and talk about Dr. King's "Dream" speech, but if people do nothing to make a difference in the world, then it doesn't matter. …If I could ask one thing of you, it's simply this: I ask you that as you go through your life, make sure you do everything in your power to live Dr. King's dream," he told the audience.
Cummings began by reminding students how blessed and privileged they are to be educated. He told them how his parents, former sharecroppers from Manning, South Carolina, wanted only one thing for themselves—an education. They moved to Baltimore as a young married couple so the children they would later have might have a chance for a better life.
"In one generation, we went from sharecroppers to a member of Congress of the United States of America," Cummings said. "We did it with help from a lot of people, including Martin Luther King."
Dr. King, Cummings said, "made us realize that we are better than folk who discriminate against each other and hold each other down."
The congressman went on to define three types of discrimination: when people are not familiar with you and don't get to know you; when you're invisible; and when hatred or lack of self esteem causes a person to put you down in order to lift himself or herself up.
Cummings then told the story of an elderly woman he met on the campaign trail years ago. The white woman lived a nursing home with mostly African-Americans. She remarked to Cummings that she regretted not taking time to know people of other races until so late in her life.
"That's what we do: We come through this life and we're around people, but we never touch them," he said. To carry on Dr. King's dream, Cummings urged the audience to truly get to know and understand others.
The congressman, who chairs the Obama campaign in Maryland, was surprised to learn why such a large, mostly young, white crowd showed up for the Obama's stop in College Park on Super Tuesday. Student government leaders told him afterward that the young people cared more about the person than his race.
"My generation has experienced racism, lack of opportunities, and folk not very kind. …I'm glad to know there is a new generation of leaders—who sit in this room—who will go out with an understanding that we are all equal," he said.
When you have privileged and not-so-privileged people in society, there's a tendency to keep the not-so-privileged down, Cummings explained. "If you keep them sick, homeless, helpless, and hopeless, they will never rise up. Dr. King understood this quite well. Our entire society is shortchanged."
Cummings urged students not to be "the person who goes along to get along." Instead, he implore them to be people who want to see change, who want to make things better. "We cannot be caught up in a culture of mediocrity. Go out and be leaders."
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD-7th) delivered a passionate and powerful speech to upper schoolers and teachers in the Ceres M. Horn Theatre on March 13. Invited by the Black Awareness Club, Cummings spoke at a special convocation in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I like the idea that people go around and talk about Dr. King's "Dream" speech, but if people do nothing to make a difference in the world, then it doesn't matter. …If I could ask one thing of you, it's simply this: I ask you that as you go through your life, make sure you do everything in your power to live Dr. King's dream," he told the audience.
Cummings began by reminding students how blessed and privileged they are to be educated. He told them how his parents, former sharecroppers from Manning, South Carolina, wanted only one thing for themselves—an education. They moved to Baltimore as a young married couple so the children they would later have might have a chance for a better life.
"In one generation, we went from sharecroppers to a member of Congress of the United States of America," Cummings said. "We did it with help from a lot of people, including Martin Luther King."
Dr. King, Cummings said, "made us realize that we are better than folk who discriminate against each other and hold each other down."
The congressman went on to define three types of discrimination: when people are not familiar with you and don't get to know you; when you're invisible; and when hatred or lack of self esteem causes a person to put you down in order to lift himself or herself up.
Cummings then told the story of an elderly woman he met on the campaign trail years ago. The white woman lived a nursing home with mostly African-Americans. She remarked to Cummings that she regretted not taking time to know people of other races until so late in her life.
"That's what we do: We come through this life and we're around people, but we never touch them," he said. To carry on Dr. King's dream, Cummings urged the audience to truly get to know and understand others.
The congressman, who chairs the Obama campaign in Maryland, was surprised to learn why such a large, mostly young, white crowd showed up for the Obama's stop in College Park on Super Tuesday. Student government leaders told him afterward that the young people cared more about the person than his race.
"My generation has experienced racism, lack of opportunities, and folk not very kind. …I'm glad to know there is a new generation of leaders—who sit in this room—who will go out with an understanding that we are all equal," he said.
When you have privileged and not-so-privileged people in society, there's a tendency to keep the not-so-privileged down, Cummings explained. "If you keep them sick, homeless, helpless, and hopeless, they will never rise up. Dr. King understood this quite well. Our entire society is shortchanged."
Cummings urged students not to be "the person who goes along to get along." Instead, he implore them to be people who want to see change, who want to make things better. "We cannot be caught up in a culture of mediocrity. Go out and be leaders."