Elijah Cummings

“African-American women account for 67 percent of all newly diagnosed female AIDS cases.”

“I'm a lawyer, I practiced for many years, and so I believe in the Fifth Amendment.”

“I realized that with African American people, where we've been blocked from being all that God meant for us to be, I don't have time to be patient.”

“Every time something bad happens to me, I don't ask the question, 'Why did it happen to me?' The question I ask is, 'Why did it happen for me?'”

“The U.S. Census Bureau acknowledged this fact when it reported that those with a bachelor's degree earn on average $1 million more over their lifetime than those with only a high school diploma.”

“I'm going to try and make people realize that in order to live the life they are living, they need to have democracy, and it's being threatened.”

“I try to remind people that there are a lot of good people, all colors. Then there's some bad ones, too. But there's a lot of good people who really care.”

“It was to carry the American democratic journey beyond these failings that Black citizens and civil rights workers risked unemployment, violence and death.”

“My mom and dad, although they may not have had a lot of formal education, they were two of the most brilliant people that I know.”

“In the same vein as these events, National Minority Health Month also serves as a reminder of how much work needs to be done to eliminate health and healthcare inequities.”

“My life is based on pain, passion, and purpose.”

“Our children are the living messages we send to a future we will ever see... Will we rob them of their destiny? Will we rob them of their dreams? No - we will not do that.”