Days worth of events set to honor Cummings
The late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings will be honored this week in Baltimore and Washington before being laid to rest.
The Baltimore Democrat, who had cancer, was 68 when he died Thursday.
The Oversight and Reform Committee chairman is remembered by many as a mentor, civil rights activist and stalwart advocate for Baltimore.
Viewings and celebrations of Cummings will begin Wednesday and go through the end of the week.
Here’s what you need to know:
What’s happening at Morgan State?
A public viewing will take place Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a community-wide celebration from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Murphy Fine Arts Center at 2201 Argonne Drive, Morgan State University spokesman Larry Jones said.
The community celebration will feature the Morgan State Choir and speeches from prominent local and possibly national figures, university spokesman Dell Jackson said.
Honored at the Capitol
The late congressman will be taken to Washington, where he will lie in state Thursday in the National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol.
An arrival ceremony at 11 a.m. will feature a wreath-laying, music from the Morgan State Choir and speeches by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland and representatives Karen Bass of California, Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri. The ceremony in the hall, which is south of the Capitol rotunda, will be limited to members of Congress and Cummings’ relatives.
But the public will be allowed in afterward to pay its respects from 1 until 7 p.m., via the Capitol Visitor Center, according to an announcement from Pelosi’s office.
The two-story hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is where the House of Representatives met in the 19th century. It is a popular spot for tourists and ceremonies such as presidential lunches and visits by foreign dignitaries. The room is in the shape of an amphitheater.
Is there another public viewing option?
Yes. Before the funeral, a final viewing will be Friday at 8 a.m. at Cummings’ church of nearly 40 years, New Psalmist Baptist Church at 6020 Marian Drive, church spokeswoman Joi Thomas said.
What about the funeral?
After the wake, the church will host the funeral at 10 a.m. Friday, Thomas said.
Who’s speaking?
So far, it’s been announced that the longtime pastor of the Lochearn church, Bishop Walter S. Thomas Jr., will deliver the eulogy. The congressman’s widow, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, said “some high-profile” speakers are expected to be announced in the coming days.
How many people are expected to attend?
The church seats 4,000 people and Thomas predicted the church would be “overflowing.”
Can I send flowers?
Cummings’ family has suggested that instead of sending flowers, people make donations to the Elijah Cummings Youth Program, according to the March Funeral Homes’ website.
Where is the burial?
The church spokeswoman said burial arrangements are pending. Cummings’ mother, Ruth, and 20-year-old nephew, Christopher, are buried at Loudon Park Cemetery in Southwest Baltimore.