SHORT ESSAY: CAMPUS EVENT

Congressmen Cumming's Speech

Andela Golemac
Introduction to US politics 203
Spring 2014

The Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964, and it symbolizes and crowns the hard work
of African-American, women and other oppressed groups. The Civil Rights Act prohibits
discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It ended the application of
Jim Craw laws that promoted racial segregation. The Civil Rights Act was eventually
expanded by Congress to strengthen enforcement of fundamental civil rights. The Civil Rights
Act paved the way for future anti-discrimination laws. It brought protests and general
turbulence in the society of that time. Nevertheless, the act has been called president
Johnson's greatest achievement. It was a major advancement of American political and social
history. This year we are celebrating 50th anniversary of Civil Rights Act, and there are many
events to celebrate this groundbreaking moment in the history. One of them was a visit of
Elijah Cummings, U.S. Representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district. He held a
speech at Hood College that I attend. He gave his remarks on 50th anniversary of Civil
Rights Act, and gave his perspective as an African-American living in the time before the act.
This short essay will summarize event and give a brief commentary on his speech.
Elijah Cummings attracted a big audience at Hood College, and before he came on
stage the Provost of Hood College gave his short autobiography. He was born and raised in
Baltimore, Maryland. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Howard
University. He began his career of public service in the Maryland House of Delegates, and
became the first African American in Maryland history to be named Speaker Pro Tem.
Congressman currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform. After Provost's short speech, Elijah Cummings came on stage to deliver
his speech. First thing he mentioned is that he is currently writing a book about his life since
he feels obligated to share with other's his magnificent life story. He lately found out that his

great great grandfather was a slave preacher. After getting his freedom he established a church
that exists even today. He also did another amazing thing when he got his freedom. He
registered to vote. He registered to vote in 1866 when the dream to get a suffrage was that,
just a dream. This was a fascinating thing for congressmen Cummings, since he felt proud that
his great great grandfather knew the importance of vote, and wanted to bring a change. He
connected this to the Civil Rights movement, which was based on a dream of a better life.
Cummings then continued with the story of love between his mother and father. They were
both living in South Carolina and were deprived of education. Education, according to
congressmen, is the most important thing to one's life and personal growth. His mother and
father had a great love story, and when they got married, they moved to Baltimore in order to
provide education for their seven children. His father worked at Davis and Chemicals and his
pain, passion, and purpose motivated him for the hard work; pain for he had no education, and
suffered because of it; passion because he saw the importance of education, and purpose to get
his kids educated. Congressmen Cummings was only seven years old when he participated in
the Civil Rights Movement for the first time. African-American children had to swim in a
small pool while white children had a big Olympic pool. One of the activists of Civil Rights
Movement encouraged them to march to the pool. She showed them for the first time what it
meant to fight for one's rights. However, she also introduced them with the hardship and
problems African-American people had to deal with at that time. During their march to the
pool they were stoned by people, and some of African-Americans were beaten up. He just
couldn't understand why anybody would show such a rage towards innocent children. For the
first time in his life he felt inferior. This was a moment in his life when he was introduced
with cruelty, and couldn't possibly grasp all the hatred of white people toward AfricanAmericans. He realized what Civil Rights Movement was all about. It was about education,
freedom of movement, and sustainable future.

After Baltimore he moved to Emerson village where he had bigger house and more
freedom. He got through to school with the help of his academic advisor and librarians who
helped him to study, and kept library open late at night, sometimes just because of him. He
also emphasized that those librarians were white people, so he also showed some other
perspective in which he wasn't berated by white people rather they gave him help showed and
compassion. He got to Howard University, and his father was so proud of him. He
emphasized that Civil Rights Movement was also a personal thing since pursuing a dream is a
personal matter. He volunteered to get students help they need at the law school. He preached
how we are always receiving more than we are giving. When he became congressmen his
father told him that now he saw what he could have become and that was the purpose of a
Civil Rights Movement. Its purpose was to enable people to pursue their dreams and be the
person they wanted to be. When one of his mentors was dying he came to see him. His mentor
told him he was proud of him and all of the things he achieved. He told him he was so proud
that he was part of his destiny, and vice versa.
After his speech Congressmen Cummings answered couple of questions about State of
Union, and the problem of more black people being in jail then in the school. He emphasized
in all of his answers that fight will continue, and that there is still so much to do to ensure
equal rights. He also addressed the immigration problem.
Congressmen Cummings speech was very emotional and touching. He is an amazing
orator, and his speech was able to hold everybody's attention. His speech was full of personal
anecdotes that were connected to Civil Rights Movement. What made his speech special was
that he was able to transfer the emotions from Civil Rights Movement to present. His speech
was also full of funny and witty remarks. People were holding their breath because of his
wonderful emotional anecdotes that show all the hardship people in the Civil Rights

Movement had to go through. Since his attention wasn't to objectively summarize the event
but rather to bring the audience back to 1964, his subjectivity was more than welcomed.