[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H5981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H5981]]
                              {time}  2045
                        HONORING PARREN MITCHELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise a great man, a former 
Member of Congress, a former colleague of many who are still here, 
Parren Mitchell of Maryland.
  Today, with the Maryland delegation, our distinguished majority 
leader, along with Elijah Cummings, gave the eulogy today with both 
Senators present, the Governor of the State, the mayor of the city, all 
of the clergy, not all but a representation of it, and family and 
friends of this great man, Parren Mitchell.
  Many Members of Congress who still serve here served with Parren, and 
they know he was a champion for economic and social justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I want the rest of our colleagues to know about the 
Mitchell family. They were in the forefront of the civil rights 
movement; and, as a native Baltimorean, I knew full well the quality of 
their leadership and the extent of their effectiveness.
  Parren Mitchell was a part of that leadership. He came to the 
Congress in 1971. He was the first African American from Maryland to 
serve in the Congress and the first African American since 1898 to come 
to the Congress from south of the Mason-Dixon line. So he made history 
when he came here, and he was a fighter who made progress while he was 
here. He was a pioneer and patriot. He fought for our country on the 
battlefields of Europe. He received the Purple Heart. He fought in the 
civil rights movement, and then fought here on the floor of the 
Congress until he decided to leave Congress.
  It was wonderful to hear his nephew speak about him, and other 
representatives of the family speak about him, as an uncle and a friend 
and a mentor.
  It was wonderful to hear the clergy speak of him as a child of the 
church, a truly religious person who brought his religion and his faith 
into public service.
  It was wonderful to hear the elected officials sing his praises as 
ones who had learned from him, Senator Mikulski, Senator Cardin. They 
had learned from him and worked with him. Again, he was a champion for 
many issues.
  He was a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I am so happy 
that he lived to see five members of the Congressional Black Caucus 
become chairs of the full committee in the House. We have Chairman 
Rangel, who will be making our economy fairer and all of the economic 
justice that Mr. Mitchell talked about; and Chairman Conyers, who did 
speak today about bringing the civil rights movement into our Congress, 
into our legislation, protecting and defending our Constitution and our 
civil liberties.
  So it was a happy occasion, although he will be greatly missed. It 
was a celebration of his life that was enjoyed for many hours today in 
St. James Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
  Congressman Sarbanes was there, along with his full family, his 
mother and father, former Senator Paul Sarbanes, his brother, Michael, 
and of course a Member of Congress we are very proud of, John Sarbanes.
  And Al Wynn was there. We almost had all of the Maryland delegation, 
the Democrats, that is. And the delegation is almost all Democratic, 
but that is for another discussion on another day. Al Wynn was there 
representing the area nearest Washington, DC, but close to the service 
of Parren Mitchell.
  When I spoke at the service I said we would be gathering here tonight 
to talk about Parren Mitchell and his wonderful contribution to our 
country and that they should tune in. But I wanted to tell you tonight 
what we saw today, which was a community who truly respected this great 
man and truly loved him and who will miss him sorely.
  With the passing of Parren Mitchell, our Nation has lost one of its 
most passionate champions of justice and equality. I offer my deepest 
condolences on behalf of all of my colleagues in the House to 
Congressman Mitchell's family, friends, and all who loved him.
  Growing up in Baltimore, I learned to revere the Mitchell family for 
their dedication to economic and social justice. Parren, his brother 
Clarence, and indeed his entire family, devoted their lives to ending 
racism and ensuring that our Nation's bounty was shared by all of its 
citizens. For that, we have all benefited. That is because their 
advocacy brought us closer to the ideal of equality that is both 
America's heritage and our hope.
  The story of Parren Mitchell's life tracks the progress we've made. 
But it also shows how much farther we must travel to truly achieve 
justice for all.
  At age 11, Parren Mitchell understood the reality of racism at its 
most violent and brutal. His older brother, Clarence, a true champion 
of social justice in his own right, came home one day and told of 
having just seen the body of a man who had been murdered--lynched--in 
Somerset County. In that moment, Congressman Mitchell would later say, 
he decided to dedicate his entire life to fighting for the rights of 
African Americans.
  Years later, in 1950, after graduating from Morgan State, the 
University of Maryland refused to admit Congressman Mitchell to its 
College Park campus, telling him that it was ``inadvisable'' for blacks 
to attend. But that injustice would not prevent Parren Mitchell from 
pursuing his dream. He fought back. He won his court case. And Parren 
Mitchell became the first African-American graduate student at the 
College Park campus, and earned his master's degree in sociology. 
Because Parren Mitchell refused to see his dream of attending graduate 
school denied, many more were able to pursue their own dream of a 
graduate education.
  Then, in 1971, when first sworn in as a Member of the House, 
Congressman Mitchell became the first African-American Member of 
Congress elected from the State of Maryland. This achievement must have 
been tempered by the knowledge that he was the very first African-
American elected to Congress from below the Mason-Dixon line since 
1898. It took almost a century for a Black American from the South to 
find a seat here in the People's House.
  Across the 85 years of Parren Mitchell's life--in his own story and 
the story of America--we see the slow march of progress. We celebrate 
today a man who made sure that, however slow at times, we continue to 
march in the right direction--toward peace, understanding, and justice 
for all.
  Congressman Cummings recently described Mr. Mitchell as ``never 
concerning himself about fame or fortune but, rather, devoting himself 
entirely to uplifting the people he represented.'' That was apparent 
through his leadership as the first African American to chair the House 
Small Business Committee. There, he put into law guarantees that 
minority-owned business would share in public works and transportation 
contracts.
  It is also a great testament to the leadership of Parren Mitchell 
that the organization he helped found--the Congressional Black Caucus--
continues to serve as the conscience of the Congress and increase its 
ranks to the benefit of all Americans. I am sure Mr. Mitchell is 
looking down upon us today and that he is pleased that so many CBC 
members are here to honor him today.
  With Congressman Mitchell's passing, we have lost a friend, a former 
colleague, and a passionate advocate for seeing that America's promise 
of freedom and equality are realized by all of our citizens. Whether in 
the Army, where he earned a Purple Heart, teaching at his alma mater, 
Morgan State, or serving his community as a social worker or a member 
of this body, Parren Mitchell dedicated his life to service. His loss 
leaves a void that we must work together to fill.
  I hope it is a comfort to Congressman Mitchell's family and friends 
that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this 
sad time.

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