Cummings was a civil rights activist from the early parts of his life helping everyone he could and making a positive impact on society at a young age. At the age of 11 Cummings was swimming with friends in a tiny pool, him and his friends were beginning to get big for the pool, having to take turns swimming. The boys didn't like having to share this tiny pool. Miss Mitchell told the boys there was a larger cleaner pool they could swim in but it had yet to be integrated. For several days Cummings and his friends marched to the bigger pool and jumped in. Crowds of angry white residents frequented the pool, sometimes numbering up to 1,000! They would repeat “Keep our pool germ free” and “white people have rights too”. They would also shout “go back where you came from” and would throw objects at the kids over police officers holding them back. One day an object cut Cummings leaving him scarred for life. After finally integrating the pool at 11 years old, instillining in him the fight for justice Cummings declared he would become a lawyer. 

"I realized that with African American people, where we've been blocked from being all that God meant for us to be, I don't have time to be patient.." ~ Elijah Cummings​​​​​​​

Three decades later Elijah recalls the event While campaigning for Congress. A man approached Cummings and apologized. He said, “I was one of the people back then in 1962 who was throwing the bottles, rocks and stones. And I’m sorry.''