[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1214-E1215]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE LATE PARREN JAMES MITCHELL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the life 
and acheivements of Parren James Mitchell, the first black Congressman 
to represent the State of Maryland, 1 of the 13 founding members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, CBC, and a champion of civil rights. Mr. 
Mitchell was a powerful force in the 20th century resurgence of Black 
political strength in the United States and I was proud to serve with 
him in the Congress.
  Born in Baltimore, MD, on April 29, 1922, Parren Mitchell was the 
ninth of 10 children in his family. He earned a bachelor's degree from 
Morgan State College in 1950 and was the first Black to earn a master's 
degree from the University of Maryland--College Park in 1952, after a 
successful suit that granted him fair admission, Mitchell returned to 
his undergraduate institution to teach sociology and serve as the 
assistant director of the Urban Studies Institute. He was also a 
commissioned officer of the 92nd Infantry Division during World War II, 
receiving the Purple Heart.
  Having amassed more than 3,000 awards and 14 honorary degrees, 
Mitchell was a leader in politics and business. He served on the 
Supreme Bench of Baltimore City from 1954 to 1957 and as executive 
director to both the Maryland Human Relations Commission and Baltimore 
Community Action Agency.
  Mr. Mitchell was elected to the 92nd United States Congress in 1971 
and reelected for seven successive terms. As the first Black to head 
the House Committee on Small Business, his greatest triumph was in 
leading a fight to ratify bills providing special aid to Black business 
owners on the grounds that Blacks had been subjected to discrimination 
for generations. In addition to heading the Small Business Committee, 
he was also Democratic whip at large, the senior member of the House 
Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee, and chairman of its 
Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy.
  In 1980, Mitchell founded the Minority Business Enterprise Legal 
Defense and Education Fund, Inc., MBELDEF, whose accomplishments 
include a successful lawsuit against Burger King in 1988 for 
discriminatory practices in awarding franchises.
  As a mentor to African Americans committed to improving American 
civil rights, such as former president of the National Association for 
the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, Kweisi Mfume, Mitchell was 
selflessly committed to uplifting his people and was even referred to 
during his chairmanship of the CBC as ``the Little General.''
  Parren is remembered in Congress as a soft-spoken yet eloquent 
speaker with a large presence. Former Chair of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee Richard Lugar asserted it was Mitchell's 
impassioned plea for sanctions against South Africa that persuaded him 
to accept a tougher measure than the Senate originally backed in 1985.
  Parren, along with other family members have dedicated their careers 
to public service and specifically to representing the people of

[[Page E1215]]

Baltimore for many years. His brother, Clarence Mitchell, Jr., the late 
civil rights activist, was the chief lobbyist for the NAACP for 30 
years and was instrumental in the passage of several civil rights 
bills. Two of his nephews, Clarence M. Mitchell III and Michael B. 
Mitchell, Sr., were elected as Baltimore city councilmen and Maryland 
State senators. His nephew, Keiffer Mitchell, is currently serving as a 
Baltimore city councilman and plans to campaign for the upcoming 
mayoral election in Baltimore city. His legacy of inspiring others to 
serve the public still lives on.
  In remembering the life of Parren Mitchell, I am grateful to have 
known him personally and am confident that America is a better place 
because he lived.

                          ____________________