Parren J. Mitchell, 85; Maryland congressman championed civil rights

Former Maryland Rep. Parren J. Mitchell, an eloquent but soft-spoken founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and champion of civil rights, died Monday at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. He was 85.

He had been living in a nursing home since suffering a series of strokes several years ago and died of complications from pneumonia, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Mitchell, a Democrat elected to the House of Representatives from Baltimore in 1970, was Maryland’s first black member of Congress. He served eight terms before stepping down in 1986 to be the running mate of former Maryland Atty. Gen. Stephen Sachs in his unsuccessful bid for governor.

“Throughout his life, Congressman Mitchell dedicated himself to opening the doors to opportunity for all Americans,” said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Democrat representing Mitchell’s former district. “He was a true servant leader, never concerning himself about fame or fortune but, rather, devoting himself entirely to uplifting the people he represented.”

Mitchell was a member of one of the nation’s prominent civil rights families, dubbed the “black Kennedys” for its extensive record of service.

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 longtime head and legal counsel of the Maryland chapter of the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People.

Parren Mitchell was also a political mentor to former U.S. representative and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, who said Mitchell’s death was like losing a second father.

“He helped shape and define an era,” Mfume said. “He wasn’t just going up against a doctrine, a lot of times he was going up against the government, and that required a special courage. He had the heart of a lion.”

Gov. Martin O’Malley described Mitchell as “a transformational leader” and a source of inspiration.

“In the midst of a time of upheaval and change, he saw clearly where our nation’s ongoing struggle for justice must head next -- economic opportunity for all,” O’Malley said.

Born in Baltimore in 1922, Parren James Mitchell served as a commissioned officer in the Army during World War II and received a Purple Heart after fighting in Italy.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 from what is now Morgan State University and applied for admission to the graduate program at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The college’s president turned him down, saying it was “inadvisable” for blacks to attend College Park. Instead, a separate graduate program for off-campus study was established for him in Baltimore.

Mitchell sued and prevailed, becoming the first black person to enroll in graduate classes at College Park.

Before his election to Congress, Mitchell worked in the administrations of Baltimore Mayors Theodore R. McKeldin and Thomas J. D’Alesandro III, and Gov. J. Millard Tawes.

In Congress, he fought for legislation requiring local governments to set aside 10% of federal grants to hire minority contractors.

He gained attention during the Wedtech scandal in the 1980s, initiating the congressional investigation that ironically ensnared his nephews, state Sens. Clarence Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell. The two were sentenced to federal prison for their part in the scandal, which involved bribes to obtain military contracts.

Parren Mitchell was never accused of wrongdoing in the case.

At his death, Mitchell had a lawsuit pending against the Baltimore Sun, which is owned by Tribune Co., also owner of The Times. The suit alleged trespass and invasion of privacy, stemming from reporting on the handling of his assets by a nephew who had power of attorney for the former congressman.

Out of public office and before his health waned, Mitchell remained engaged in the fight for civil rights.

“If you believe in fighting racism, you make a commitment for the rest of your life,” he said in a 1989 speech to the Baltimore teachers union observing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

“There’s no getting off that train. You can’t say, ‘I’ve put five years in fighting racism and now I’m finished.’ No, you are not finished. Our job is to fight it every day, to continue to shove it down and when it rises up to shove it down even harder.”