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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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Congressman
Elijah E. Cummings |
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by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
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If you do not remember from whence you come,@ my mother always told us, Ayou cannot know where you must go.@That is why - as we begin a new century and millennium - it is important to remember and thank the teachers in our past. The greatest of them have helped us learn the ways of the world and our own potential to contribute.
For many years, former Congressman Parren J. Mitchell has been this kind of wonderful teacher and friend to me. Back in June of 1984, for example, the Congressman sent me a note that remains one of the most positive and supportive I have ever received.
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Elijah Cummings,@ Congressman Mitchell observed, A...it=s hard for me to isolate out those qualities you have which make you so remarkable.@A
Is it devotion to following through in your elected role, as illustrated by your correspondence to the Members of Congress in support of Title III of the Export Administration Act? Is it your constant display of thoughtfulness, as illustrated by your letter to Rev. Helen Russell? Is it the presence you project, not pompous nor ego-inflated, but certainly commanding, exuding leadership?@When I first read Parren Mitchell=s note and his concluding expression of satisfaction at playing a constructive role in my career, I had to smile. I understood what my teacher was doing by personally taking the time to respond to my letter in this manner.
The Congressman used the opportunity to encourage me to maintain my commitment to the social and personal values upon which he had based his own life.
Congressman Mitchell was the people=s representative who returned to Baltimore every night from his work in Washington. He was the leader whom everyone could reach on the telephone - who would attend a mother=s birthday party on the spur of the moment just because her son called him and asked him to come....
I framed the Congressman=s note to me, and I read it often. My life today would be quite different were it not for his insight, guidance and support.
Parren Mitchell=s words of encouragement remind me of my own responsibility to our next generation of leaders.
Recently, I attended a gathering sponsored at the Engineers= Club by the Alliance of Young Black Professionals - young women and men who have prepared themselves well for our competitive society. Their success is an important part of Parren Mitchell=s legacy.
What would life today be like for intelligent, young black men and women if leaders like Parren Mitchell had not demanded their inclusion in the graduate and professional schools of America? How successful would they have become if the first African American Congressman ever to be elected from Maryland had not successfully led the struggle for minority participation in government contracting?
At the Engineers= Club, I talked at length with our future leaders about working together to create a more just community. I applauded their commitment to public service - their understanding that much is expected of those to whom much is given.
As I listened to their plans for mentoring programs and school visits, I thought of the Congressman. I recalled the help and respect he reserved for those of us who struggle the most. I remembered his dedication to our economic empowerment, his relentless advocacy for a better, more inclusive America.
At the evening=s end, I thought to myself, AParren Mitchell would be proud of these young people. They are competent and caring, and they will make a difference....@
I am honored to support them in their efforts because I remember from whence I come. Lessons learned in my youth from Parren Mitchell - and heroes like him - have shaped my present and provide a clear vision for my future.
Thank you, Parren, for all that you have done to support me and uplift the lives of our people.
Like Isaac Newton, Aif I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.@-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.
