I didn’t realize how beloved my congressman was nationally until he died and friends
from around the country sent condolences and praise my way simply because I am a
Baltimorean. Everyone could see his brilliance and decency. Looking back through the
Baltimore Sun archive, I realized I’d had the good fortune to photograph U.S. Rep. Elijah
Cummings more than two dozen times. Every time I had an assignment where he was to
deliver a speech, I knew I might be teary-eyed before he was finished. His face was as
expressive and kind and expansive as his soul. Chronologically, these photos range from an August 2019
appearance at the National Press Club to 2004, when he accompanied
some guy from Chicago with an unfamiliar name to a fundraiser, to 1996, when he ran for
Congress to replace Kweisi Mfume in the 7th District. It was a privilege to
document this extraordinary leader.
