[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17577]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               IN HONOR OF LITTLETON P. ``LIT'' MITCHELL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 13, 2009

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart but great honor 
that I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Littleton P. Mitchell. 
Mr. Mitchell, a man of great compassion and understanding, was a life-
long advocate for human and civil rights. His influence and 
contributions have reached far and wide, both within and beyond our 
state and continue to have an effect on all of Delaware's communities.
  Born and raised in a period when Delaware offered but one high school 
for black students, Littleton would hitchhike to Wilmington's Howard 
High School--a distance of more than 60 miles from his hometown of 
Milford. At a young age and upon the encouragement of his mother, 
Littleton joined Delaware's chapter of the National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It was through his involvement 
in the NAACP that Lit developed his impressive talent for public and 
inspirational speaking. During WWII, he left his studies at West 
Chester University and served as a Tuskegee Airman. He later finished 
school and used his degree to become an educator at the Governor Bacon 
Health Center and the first black teacher in Delaware to teach white 
students.
  Littleton considered Louis L. Redding, the Delaware lawyer who was 
instrumental in the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education, 
as a close friend and mentor. Though the two may not have always agreed 
on strategy, Lit credited Redding with giving him sound and sage 
advice--advice that would help him challenge the status quo in his 
quest to bring justice and equality to all people. A public servant to 
the highest degree, Littleton helped secure a job for the first black 
state trooper; coordinated marches and boycotts that confronted public 
officials and those in power; and worked tirelessly and successfully to 
eliminate the poor conditions of migrant camps. As President of 
Delaware's NAACP for more than 30 years, including during the height of 
the civil rights movement, Lit led efforts to secure fair housing, 
equal access to public resources, and equal education and employment 
opportunities.
  During his lifetime, Lit was honored by many groups and organizations 
and served on numerous committees and commissions, including the Brown 
v. Board of Education 50th Anniversary Commission, established by 
Congress in 2001. In 1993, the University of Delaware awarded Lit their 
Medal of Merit in recognition of his unwavering commitment to community 
service and his trailblazing efforts in the pursuit of civil rights. 
This was a special honor for Lit as Jane, his high school sweetheart 
and wife of more than 60 years, had been awarded with the Medal of 
Merit 13 years prior. Referred to by Lit as his role model and the 
person whom he admired the most, Jane was the first black nurse to work 
in a state hospital and later served as the director of nursing at 
Delaware State Hospital. The two of them worked together to 
successfully end segregation in Delaware hospitals. Littleton, with 
Jane always by his side, was a steadfast and committed leader, 
universally acknowledged as a trailblazer in Delaware's civil rights 
movement.
  An educator who advocated for the dignity and respect owed to every 
human being, Lit was the active and leading force behind so many of 
Delaware's historical ``firsts.'' He dedicated his time and his energy 
to what he felt in his heart to be true. He was blessed with the 
ability to motivate others and to organize a community. Referred to by 
a young man who knew him well as a ``gentle soldier,'' Lit was able to 
fight intolerance and bigotry in a manner that put people at ease. He 
had a truly great and peaceful approach to how he pursued his justice, 
and, with a way of getting things done by bringing people together, he 
used his extraordinary sense of understanding and his exceptional 
talent for speaking (what Lit himself referred to as his ``acid 
tongue'') to bring change and progress to our state. Not afraid to 
stand up and speak out, Lit was a man whom I greatly admired and 
considered a friend, a man of his convictions--just and fair with a 
compassionate soul and an infectious smile. He was a man who may have 
intimidated some, but was beloved by many and respected by all. I take 
this opportunity to recognize Littleton P. Mitchell for his unending 
dedication and his immeasurable contributions and to honor his life--a 
life spent in service to his state and his country.

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