Dear Neighbor,

My successor, predecessor, and dear friend, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, found a way to capture our will, dare us to be different, and then challenge us to make a difference. 

Elijah, a proud son of Baltimore, was born to parents who both came from Southern sharecropping families. He would go on to lead the Maryland House of Delegates and then have a 23-year career in Congress, during which he advocated for all people, including lower-income and working-class Americans. 

I want to make sure that Elijah is remembered and his work will not be forgotten, especially today, on what would be his 72nd birthday.

In honor of his legacy, I have introduced a congressional resolution in the United States House of Representatives that would encourage the United States Postal Service Postmaster General to issue a commemorative stamp to celebrate him. 

After I first served in Congress, and he succeeded me in the House of Representatives, we would often connect and remind one another that this is not a perfect nation, that we are not a perfect people, but that God calls on all of us in America to a perfect mission. I believe this commemoration for my friend is absolutely a part of that mission. 

I am encouraged by the vast amount of support this effort has already received from those who knew Elijah or appreciate his legacy.

Yours in service,

Kweisi Mfume
Member of Congress