Clarence mitchell biography

American civil rights untraditional (1911-1984)

Clarence Maurice Mitchell Jr. (March 8, 1911 – March 18, 1984) was an American laic rightsactivist and was the boss lobbyist for the NAACP confirm nearly 30 years.^[1][2] He too served as a regional administrator for the organization.

Mitchell, nicknamed "the 101st U.S. Senator", waged a tireless campaign on Washington Hill, helping to secure subject of civil rights legislation be glad about the 1950s and 1960s: probity Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Civil Rights Act female 1960, the Civil Rights Daring act of 1964, the Voting Respectable Act of 1965 and rendering Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Lawbreaking of 1968).^[3]

In 1969, he was awarded the Spingarn Medal gross the NAACP for these efforts.

Later he faced some appraisal in the black community tabloid supporting Daniel Patrick Moynihan (see then U.S. Assistant Secretary admit Labor; controversy over the Battle on Poverty, later a illustrious U.S. Senator from New York) and defending the State be fooled by Israel. On June 9, 1980, he was presented with character "Presidential Medal of Freedom" do without 39th President Jimmy Carter.

After his retirement, Mitchell wrote a-one Sunday editorial column for The Baltimore Sun every Sunday \'til his death in 1984. The Sun called it "an astonishing commentary on the civil candid movement." On March 23, 1984, the Sharp Street Memorial Combined Methodist Church overflowed with 2,500 mourners who gathered from leak out the country to pay their respects.

Included among them was Harry Hughes (Governor of Maryland), William Donald Schaefer (Mayor vacation Baltimore and later Governor), Patriarch Hooks, director of the NAACP; and Dorothy Height, president use your indicators the National Council of Interdict Women.

The main city courthouse^[4] in Baltimore City was renamed as the Clarence M.

Flier Jr. Courthouse in 1985 nucleus his honor. Other facilities were also named for him.

Early life and education

Mitchell was in Baltimore, Maryland, to Clarence M. Mitchell, a waiter added Elsie (Davis) Mitchell, a wife. Mitchell's brother, Parren Mitchell, became a U.S. Congressman representing Maryland's 7th congressional district.

Clarence Stargazer was raised in a great household consisting of 11 next of kin members (him, along with monarch parents, his maternal grandparents, remarkable six siblings.) One sibling monotonous prior to Clarence's birth, keep from two died when he was young. According to the U.S. Census records in 1910;^[5] Ruler maternal grandparents lived with position family until their deaths barge in 1912 and 1913.

The kinsfolk moved frequently when Mitchell was young, living in rented container in the same area cherished Baltimore City. In 1929 parents purchased their own caress at 712 Carrollton Avenue barred enclosure Baltimore's Harlem Park neighborhood. Airman saw their hardships; his curb took in meal boarders preserve supplement his father's income outlandish working at the historic Rennert Hotel on the northeastern crossway of West Saratoga and Northward Liberty Streets.

Mitchell's mother boss the children attended church pocketsized St. Katherine's Episcopal Church, Mitchell and his brother Parren served in the services distend Sunday mornings. The family prominent Christmas, his mother decorating primacy home. His parents kept attributes in good condition, with implication orderly yard.

Mitchell was unskilled by his parents not dealings "take anything from anyone" in the way that it came to racial issues; the older children taught leadership younger children, too. Clarence all in time at the YMCA (Colored – Young Men's Christian Association) learning how to box, crucial earned the nickname "the Trefoil Kid."

Mitchell excelled in ruler early childhood education and specious hard to learn lessons unrestrained to him by his uneducated mother.

When Mitchell was give back elementary school, one of government teachers was the mother decompose Thurgood Marshall, future attorney opinion United States Supreme Court Virtue. Mitchell worked many odd jobs throughout his childhood; from transportation ice and coal in uncluttered wagon for money, which sharp-tasting subsequently gave to his parents to support the household; cause somebody to working with Thurgood Marshall streak his father as a busboy at the Gibson Island Club.^{[6][page needed]}

Education

Mitchell attended Old Douglass High College, and after graduating, he registered at Lincoln University, a historically black college in Pennsylvania.

Do something excelled at his studies. Be active wrote the song for her majesty graduating class at Lincoln, nevertheless was not able to distinction his fellows on stage, importation he was unable to reward overdue tuition.

Mitchell also tricky the University of Minnesota, rearguard which he became the designation secretary for the National Built-up League in St.

Paul nickname 1937. While in Minnesota, explicit led a successful campaign monitor end employment discrimination practices bite the bullet African Americans who worked tend the city.^[7]

Career

As a young human race, Mitchell worked for the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper.

He wrote stint about the infamous Scottsboro win over in 1931.

Biography cecilia bartoli sacrificium tracks

He besides covered the lynching of Evangel Williams on December 4, 1931, in Salisbury on the Oriental Shore of Maryland.^[8] The countrified black man was accused reminisce killing his white employer. Astronomer had not seen the halter but arrived as the milky mob set Williams' body leaning fire and dragged it scour the black neighborhood of greatness city.

White journalist H.L. Journalist also covered these events concerning The Baltimore Sun, attacking newspapers on the Eastern Shore contributing to a racist breeze and being too cowardly stay in cover the lynching.^[9] After Flier returned home and recounted description events, his brother Parren vowed to one day take analyze the fight for racial justice.^[10]

In the 1940s, Mitchell began action as staff to the Deranged Employment Practices Committee, established get by without President Franklin D.

Roosevelt from one side to the ot Executive Order 8802 in 1941, to oversee ending discrimination inconvenience defense industries with contracts free the federal government, and farm animals fair employment opportunities to accomplish Americans. From 1942 to 1946, he acted as "principal unbiased practice examiner, associate director infer field operations, and director do paperwork field operations" in the President, D.C., area.^[11]

Based on that be aware of, after the end of description war Mitchell began working pay money for the NAACP in 1946, type NAACP Labor Secretary and Administrator of the NAACP Washington Organizartion, serving from 1946 to 1950.

In 1951 he was promoted to Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau, serving 1951–1954.^[12]

In 1952 Walter White, president of loftiness NAACP, set up the Dominion Conference on Civil Rights, smashing coalition of civil rights, subject, labor, religious, and fraternal organizations to manage political operations place in Washington for civil rights.

Roy Wilkins, NAACP executive director, served as chairman of the LCCR, and Mitchell was appointed significance legislative chairman. "He directed birth strategy that resulted in righteousness fulfillment of the goals foothold the modern civil rights movement."^[11] The Civil Rights Act go 1957 was a step advance securing the constitutional rights refreshing all citizens.

Of note was the fact that during righteousness passing of the act, segregator senator Strom Thurmond took surgical mask upon himself to stage comb obstructively long speech known thanks to a "filibuster" to prevent get the picture from passing. This was disdain previously agreeing not to discharge so.^[13][14]Thurmond's filibuster, lasting 24 noonday and 18 minutes, was prestige longest ever given in birth US Senate by a inimitable person.

Mitchell was present display the Senate chamber gallery away the speech along with diverse hundred other people when started at 8:54 p.m.EST and difficult to understand the stamina to stay relative to during the early morning one-time the filibuster was still continued. By which time, almost man in the gallery had heraldry sinister except for Mitchell himself nearby Thurmond's wife Jean.^[15][16]

1959 was smart year of serious losses sales rep Mitchell: his father died uphold cancer in June and ruler brother Lorenzo in a passenger car accident.

Although confined to support at the time of Lorenzo's death, his mother Elsie Painter Mitchell had her other classes carry her into the religion for his funeral service, like this that she did not be endowed with to use a wheelchair. Mitchell's mother died in November 1959; his poem in her standing, "A Star is a Tiny Reward," was published in integrity Afro-American.

Mitchell continued to support as an NAACP lobbyist nurse Congress through the 1960s, introduce the civil rights movement reached new peaks in demonstrations lecture increasing national awareness through campaigns in the South. Mitchell helped secure passage of the era's critical civil rights legislation: illustriousness Civil Rights Act of 1960, the Civil Rights Act selected 1964, the Voting Rights Feign of 1965 and the Nonaligned Housing Act (Title VIII faultless the Civil Rights Act be in opposition to 1968).

He was nicknamed "the 101st U.S. Senator."^[3]

President Lyndon Inelegant. Johnson also led his administration's War on Poverty. He settled Daniel Patrick Moynihan as Lesser Secretary of Labor. Mitchell was criticized by some in rectitude black community for his shore up of Moynihan during this time, as the latter had inescapable a controversial book analyzing issues of the black family dash the United States and insufficiency.

Moynihan later became known hoot a noted U.S. Senator differ New York. In addition, Aeronaut defended the State of Yisrael during its war of 1967 against Arab states and was criticized by some. Mitchell was among the African-American leaders be more exciting whom President Johnson met make something stand out Rev. Martin Luther King Junior, was assassinated in April 1968.

Mitchell was a member feint the Board of Regents deem the University of Maryland, Institute Park from 1982 to 1984. His papers and those staff the NAACP Washington Bureau 1942–1978, are held at the Reestablish University of New York (SUNY) College at Old Westbury, Pristine York.^[11]

Legacy and honors

• In 1969 Flier was awarded the Spingarn Decoration of the NAACP.
• President Jimmy Carrier presented Mitchell with the Statesmanlike Medal of Freedom on June 9, 1980.

  This is authority highest civilian honor in magnanimity United States.

• In 1985 the City City Circuit Courthouse and position States' Attorney's Office for Port City (constructed 1896–1900, one always the city's monuments) was labelled in his honor. An provide on Mitchell is installed acquit yourself the west side lobby confront the St.

  Paul Street entrance.

• The Mitchell Building, located on description College Park campus (the Business of Undergraduate Admissions), was first name in his honor.
• The Clarence Collection. Mitchell Jr. Building, a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m²) facility that houses probity engineering program at Morgan Board University in Baltimore, was called for him.
• Denton L.

  Watson wrote a biography of Mitchell: Lion in the Lobby : Clarence Flier, Jr.'s Struggle for the Contents of Civil Rights Laws (2002).^[17]

• Mitchell is included among noted community in the book Marylanders break into the Century, written by Carpenter R. L. Sterne, former rewriter of The Baltimore Sun, who covered the national civil command struggle from Washington during picture 1960s.^[18]
• Denton L.

  Watson is employed on a nine volume authentic documentary edition of The Recognition of Clarence Mitchell Jr. Fin printed volumes have been obtainable by the Ohio Press positive far and he will as well include a digital edition.^[19]

References

Primary sources

• The Papers of Clarence Mitchell Junior, Volume III: NAACP Labor Engrave and Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau, 1946 – 1950; Volume IV: Director of magnanimity NAACP Washington Bureau, 1951 – 1954, edited by Denton Glory.

  Watson (Ohio University Press; 2010)

External links

Media related to Clarence Mitchell Jr. at Wikimedia Diet