Congressman Elijah Cummings is the chairman of the powerful House Committee on Oversight and Reform. As the chairman and ranking member, Congressman Cummings has jurisdiction over all federal, civil service and intergovernmental personnel, government and accounting measures, and even all national holidays and celebrations, just to name a few.
On Sunday April 7, 2019, a local political awareness group in Pasadena, “Women in Leadership,” hosted the congressman to a day of prayer and dialogue in the city of Pasadena. The day began with a prayer service at Friendship Baptist Church, one of the largest and the oldest African American churches in the city. There, Congressman Cummings inspired the large crowd with words of wisdom and an inspiring story about his life, being raised by parents who were sharecroppers and the importance of education.
Following the church service, Pasadena vice Mayor, John Kennedy, and his sister, Lena L. Kennedy, hosted a small lunch reception for the congressman at the home of the vice mayor and then finished the day off with an exciting one-on-one dialogue to a standing room only crowd at the KPCC Media Center.
Women In Leadership chairperson, Janet Braun, Esq. served as the moderator for the interview and talked about how wonderful it was to host such an inspiring national leader as Congressman Cummings in Pasadena. Cummings was not afraid to let the crowd know exactly how he felt about the state of the country at this time saying, “President Trump is the biggest threat to the success of our country. He is a man who cares nothing about the law, rules or responsibilities of the office of the President. But the relaxed and joyous event was not just about the President and the problems currently facing the nation.
The 68-year-old Congressman shared a variety of fun-filled stories of his youth, being placed in special education classes as a youngster and the emphasis his father and mother placed on education. He also spoke candidly about his commitment to uplifting and his concern for the care of today’s youth.
“I am so honored to have had the chance to spend the day here in Pasadena. I am very thankful to Lena Kennedy and all of the wonderful ladies who made this day possible. I hope that everyone enjoyed the day as much as I have,” stated Congressman Cummings.
At the end of the event, many of the attendees talked about how much they enjoyed the congressman and his stories and invited him to come back to the city for another day of dialogue and inspiration.
