By Frederick N. Rasmussen
“Elinor was kind, gracious and committed to her work and devoted to her family,” said her first cousin, Rep. Kweisi Mfume. “She was built for motherhood and had honed her matriarchal spirit a longtime as a girl who wanted to have a family and see them succeed her. She earned the right to be the matriarch of our family.
“She was brilliant in her own right, was very studious, and had a sharp mind. She clearly was a lot smarter than me. Stuff came to her easy whereas I had to work at it.”
By Lisa Robinson
Mfume acknowledged that Lacks' cells have led to remarkable research.
"Those cells have been responsible for remarkable research, leading to the cure of Polio -- research in Parkinson's, hemophilia, leukemia, HIV," Mfume said.
But Lacks never gave consent to have her cells used in research. Her family was not informed or compensated.
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By Congressman Kweisi Mfume
Last week, I brought the Government Operations Subcommittee of U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee to Baltimore for a hearing on postal service delays. I extend my thanks to Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly and the entire Oversight Committee for working with me to bring this hearing to Maryland’s 7th District.
In addition, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the hardworking women and men of the United States Postal Service who are not to blame for the failures with our national delivery system.
By Congressman Kweisi Mfume
“Military service for our country is a very high honor. I am proud to continue this tradition of nominating talented young men and women from the 7th district to join one of our nation’s prestigious Military Service Academies,” Congressman Mfume said. “These applicants are truly exceptional, and I am sure they will represent us well.”
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By Ariana Figueroa
The John Lewis bill, named in honor of the Georgia lawmaker and civil rights icon, would bolster the Voting Rights Act by establishing a new formula to require all 50 states to get special permission from the Justice Department before making any changes to voting laws or putting in place new voting requirements.
By Congressman Kweisi Mfume
On December 5, 1955, one woman’s act of courage in the face of immoral, systemic law, prompted a stand against a country that refused to see her as an equal. This woman was Ms. Rosa Parks – she said no when asked to give up her seat on the Montgomery, Alabama Bus Line because of the color of her skin. Her actions led to a yearlong boycott that did not end until December 20, 1956. Sixty-five years later, we rightfully celebrate and recognize the patriots who propelled the Montgomery boycott into an iconic moment for our nation.
By Jeff Barker
More important, Mfume was given deference on his choice of committees, and he became a subcommittee chairman earlier this year — a rarity for new members. He is vice chair of the Small Business Committee; the subcommittee he oversees is designed to help small businesses with federal contracts.