A large crowd gathered at the Enoch Pratt Library on Thursday to rename a U.S. post office branch for the nearly 100-year-old former Maryland state Del. Lena Lee. Rep. Elijah Cummings called Lee “inspiration to us all.”
“Her rare devotion aided her in making momentous contributions to the State of Maryland,” said Cummings, who presided over the dedication. “She has changed all our lives for the better,” he said.
Lee, who turns 100 in July, was honored with the unveiling of a plaque rededicating the post office branch on 1826 Pennsylvania Ave. to the “Maryland State Delegate Lena K. Lee Post Office Building.” The plaque will be installed in the building.
Mentioned among her many accomplishments was her election to the Maryland house of delegates in 1969 as the first black female lawyer, her tireless support of education, and her Presidential Citation bestowed by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. Cummings recalled how Lee started his political career by picking him to fill her seat in the house.
“She said she wanted a woman, but you?ll do,” Cummings said.
Lee, who took the stage after a rousing performance by the Baltimore City College Choir of a gospel version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” said that despite her age, she was still fighting for change.
“I fought for rights that we all now take for granted, but the fight is not over,” she said to rousing applause.
sjanis@baltimoreexaminer
