[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14617-14618]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CONGRESSMAN PARREN J. MITCHELL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Donnelly). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join others in 
commemorating the life and legacy of Congressman Parren J. Mitchell. 
Growing up in Baltimore, I came to understand the tremendous positive 
impact this great man had on my community, the State of Maryland and 
indeed this country.
  The first African American Congressman from my State, Parren Mitchell 
fought against racism at every turn, but he fought on other fronts as 
well, wherever he saw injustice, and inhumanity. At his memorial 
service earlier today in Baltimore, we heard again

[[Page 14618]]

and again of a man unafraid to speak truth to power.
  I would like to share my own personal story of how I felt the 
presence of this man.
  Some years ago, Congressman Mitchell was honored at the 15th 
anniversary of the Public Justice Center, an organization committed to 
building systemic change in our society.
  It was an easy choice to salute Congressman Mitchell, but it was not 
easy for him to attend the event. He was by then quite frail, and as he 
was helped to the stage to receive the honor, I remember wondering 
whether he would have the energy to speak.
  I needn't have worried. A steady and resonant voice filled the hall, 
and from this slightly built man, at that point in his life no longer 
able to stand up, came simple and powerful words of gratitude and 
inspiration.
  He spoke at length and without hesitation about his core principles 
of honesty, justice and compassion. It was, Mr. Speaker, a tour de 
force. I can only imagine what that voice was like when it held forth 
in this Chamber and carried the day on so many critical issues.
  Something else happened that night that is worth relating. After 
Congressman Mitchell finished speaking, the organization honored a 
young man from the community who had struggled and succeeded in 
overcoming unfair labor practices in his industry. That young man, 
looking out on a crowd of 500 people, said this: ``We need to make sure 
that the big corporations pay the little guy for the hard work.''
  I looked at Congressman Mitchell, and I saw a smile creeping across 
his face. It was truth to power at its very best, all that Parren 
Mitchell had ever stood for.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to salute this fine American and great 
son of Baltimore.

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