Champion of Civil Rights, The Honorable Parren J. Mitchell Dies From Complications With Pneumonia.
Mitchell, 85, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Baltimore in 1970 and was Maryland's first Black congressman.
The Democrat served eight terms before stepping down in 1986 to be the running mate to former attorney general Stephen Sach in his unsuccessful bid for governor.
Mitchell was a member of one of the country's prominent civil rights families. His brother Clarence Mitchell Jr. helped shepherd the major civil rights legislation of the late 1950s and 1960s as the NAACP's principal lobbyist, and was known as the 101st Senator. Parren Mitchell's sister-in-law, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, was the long-time head and legal counsel of the Maryland NAACP.
He gained notoriety during the Wedtech scandal in the 1980s, initiating the congressional investigation that eventually ensnared state Sens. Clarence Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell. While Parren Mitchell was never accused of wrongdoing in the case, his two nephews were sentenced to federal prison for their part in the scandal, which involved bribes to obtain no-bid military contracts.
Born in Baltimore in 1922, Parren Mitchell was a graduate of Morgan State College and earned a Master's degree from the University of Maryland. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army during World War II, and received the Purple Heart.
As a congressman, he fought for legislation requiring local governments to set aside 10 percent of federal grants to hire minority contractors.
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Democrat who now holds the 7th District seat, said that Mitchell, "Was a true servant leader, never concerning himself about fame or fortune but, rather, devoting himself entirely to uplifting the people he represented."
Job well done congressman - Bravo!