THE FIRST ANNUAL ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS DEMOCRACY & FREEDOM FESTIVAL APPROVED AS BIDEN-HARRIS PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL COMMITTEE DAY OF SERVICE EVENT

Virtual Festival Features Speaker Nancy Pelosi Along with Leading Activists, Intellectuals, & Artists

Baltimore, MD, January 18, 2021. The first annual Elijah E. Cummings Democracy and Freedom Festival is taking place at 3pm ET on Monday, January 18, 2021, the birthdate of the late Congressman Cummings and the national celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.

“We are launching this event to uplift the importance of democracy at a time when it is being threatened from within,” said Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the late Congressman’s widow and the festival organizer. “Elijah was a staunch defender of democracy because it, along with the momentum of the Civil Rights Movement, afforded him the opportunity to rise above poverty and racism to effect social change as a leader in Maryland’s House of Delegates and the U.S. Congress.”   

“In Congress, Elijah Cummings was our North Star, always reminding us that, ‘when we’re dancing with the angels, the question will be asked, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?’,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “At this challenging time for our nation, Elijah’s commitment to advancing the promise of democracy and the blessings for freedom, justice and opportunity remain a powerful inspiration. As Speaker and a proud Baltimorean, it is my privilege to join Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings for the inaugural Elijah E. Cummings Democracy and Freedom Festival where we will honor Elijah’s legacy and recommit ourselves to building a brighter, more just and equal future for all.”

In addition to a keynote from Baltimore native and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other festival speakers include Councilman Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Council; Bishop Walter Scott Thomas Sr., Pastor of New Psalmist Baptist Church; Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change; LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund; Keith Berwick, Founding Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellowship; and Yvette Lewis, Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.  The inaugural theme of the event is “Democracy and the Five Freedoms: The Role of Social Justice in Achieving a More Perfect Union.”

The event will also feature the soul stirring sounds of Houston-based vocal artist Elizabeth Vaughn Henderson and a dynamic multimedia portrait created by Detroit-based visual artist Desiree Kelly. Entry to the virtual event is free and open to the public. Interested individuals can register at bit.ly/DemocracyandFreedomFestival.

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