Bio-Sketch

 Parren J. Mitchell

 Retired Member of U.S. House of Representatives 

Every Black elected official must have a simple credo: "I am elected from a mixed district, part White, part Black; I will serve all the people. But I will give my priority to Black people and the poor because they need more."

The above statement exemplifies the political philosophy of Parren J. Mitchell, retired U.S. Representative from Maryland's Seventh District.

Championing the causes of the Black and poor comes naturally to Mitchell. In 1950, Mitchell filed suit to compel the University of Maryland to enroll him as its first Black graduate student. There, he completed his master's degree in sociology and was admitted to the school's honor society. After receiving his master's degree, Mitchell returned to teach at his alma mater, Morgan State University.

As Executive Director of Baltimore's anti-poverty program in the late 60s, Mitchell lobbied Washington for his agency's programs. Also during the l960s, he served as Executive Secretary for the Maryland Human Relations Commission and played the pivotal role in the enactment and implementation of Maryland's statewide Public Accommodations Law.

In 1970, he was elected Maryland's first Black Congressman.

In 1976, Mitchell attached to President Carter's $4 billion Public Works Bill an amendment that compelled state, county and municipal governments seeking federal grants to set aside 10 percent of the money to retain minority firms as contractors, subcontractors; $625 million (15%) going to legitimate minority firms.

He also introduced the legislation which, in 1976, became Public Law 95-507, that requires proposals from contractors to spell out their goals for awarding contracts to minority subcontractors. This law potentially provides access to billions of dollars for minority businesses. His amendment to the $71 billion Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, required a 10 percent set-aside for disadvantaged businesses.

He served as: Whip-At-Large; Senior Member of the House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee, Chairman of its Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy; Chairman of the House Small Business 

Committee, Chairman of its Task Force on Minority Enterprise; Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing, Minority Enterprise and Economic Development of the Congressional Black Caucus; a Member of the Joint Economic Committee; and on the Presidential Commission on the National Agenda for the Eighties.

In 1980, he founded The Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. ("MBELDEF") and presently serves as Chairman of the Board.

He holds a total of 14 Honorary Degrees, i.e., five Doctor of Humane Letters; five Doctor of Law; and four Doctor of Social Sciences.

National and local consumer groups; civil rights groups; business and economic groups; fraternities; sororities; religious groups; and educational organizations have presented more than 3000 awards to Mr. Mitchell. He has received awards from such diverse groups as: The National Alliance of Black Educators; the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; the Morehouse College Alumni; the Joint Center for Political Studies; the Greater New Haven (Connecticut) Business and Professional Association; the Minority Contractors of Dayton, Ohio, the Alaska Black Caucus; and the Consumer Federation of America.

It has been said of him, "Parren's emotions are those of a Patrick Henry . . . he didn't say give me liberty later . . . Parren is one of God's angry men."

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Parren Mitchell Bio Chronology

1922  (April 29) --  Born in Baltimore to Clarence M. Mitchell Sr. and Elsie Davis Mitchell. His father was a waiter at the Rennert Hotel in downtown Baltimore.

1933 -- His brother Clarence returned home from Somerset County, where a black man had been lynched.

1940 --  Graduated from Frederick Douglass High School and then served in the Army during World War II, winning a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in Italy.

1950  -- Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morgan State College. Filed suit to compel the University of Maryland to enroll him as its first Black graduate student.

1952 --  Received M.A. degree in sociology from the University of Maryland and returned to teach at Morgan State.

1954 – 1957 -- Supervisor of probation work for the Supreme Bench of Baltimore City

1963 - 1965 -- Executive director of the Maryland Human Relations Commission in the Tawes administration,

1965 – 1968 -- Selected by Mayor McKeldin as executive director of the Baltimore Community Action Agency (CAA), the local arm of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty.  The link between the militant civil rights groups and the city administration according to the Sun newspaper during three days and four nights of violence that was quelled after thousands of Army and National Guard troops were sent into the city.

Resigned  as head of the CAA in July 1968, complaining that the Mayor D'Alesandro had assigned him a subordinate role in the anti-poverty effort, a step the mayor blamed on federal government dictates.

1968 -- Rejoined the Morgan State faculty and made his first run for Congress, a bid to unseat Samuel N. Friedel, who had represented the heavily Jewish and Democratic 7th District since 1953. In the Democratic primary, received 15,000 votes, falling 5,500 short of Mr. Friedel. Political experts were impressed.

1970 --  Defeated Mr. Friedel by 38 votes in the 40 percent black district as a third major candidate, a Jewish state senator, drained away votes from the popular incumbent. Became Maryland's first Black Congressman to the first of his eight terms in Congress. Reelected to seven succeeding Congresses from the 7th District through 1987.

1976  -- Attached to President Carter's $4 billion Public Works Bill an amendment that compelled state, county and municipal governments seeking federal grants to set aside 10 percent of the money to retain minority firms as contractors, subcontractors; $625 million (15%) going to legitimate minority firms.

1976 -- Introduced the legislation which became Public Law 95-507, that requires proposals from contractors to spell out their goals for awarding contracts to minority subcontractors. This law potentially provides access to billions of dollars for minority businesses. His amendment

1977 – Appeared on the cover of Black Enterprise

1978  -- Ebony magazine feature listing Mitchell among the 100 most influential African-Americans

1980 -- Founded The Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. ("MBELDEF") and presently serves as Chairman of the Board.

1982 -- Amended the $71 billion Surface Transportation Assistance Act of required a 10 percent set-aside for disadvantaged businesses.

1984 -- Clarence Mitchell died

1985 – Announced, at age 63, he would not seek re-election for a ninth term in Congress.

1987  --  Nephews Clarence M. Mitchell III and his brother, Michael B. Mitchell, were convicted in federal court in  of accepting $50,000 from Wedtech to obstruct an investigation of the company by the House Small Business Committee, which Representative Mitchell headed
 

1989 – Gave speech at a Baltimore teachers union observance of Dr. King's birthday and stated  "If you believe in fighting racism, you make a commitment for the rest of your life."

2007 (Monday, May 28) at the age of 85, passed away. On   June 5th more than 1,000 people paid their last respects to the Congressman at the St. James' Episcopal Church in West Baltimore

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(a) 1999, 2000 MBELDEF -- The Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. ("MBELDEF") is a national, non-profit, public interest law firm founded in 1980 by former U.S. Congressman Parren J. Mitchell (D-MD, retired).  MBELDEF's litigation activities are intended to achieve equity and fairness in the marketplace on behalf of minority business enterprises ("MBE's").

Source: http://www.mbeldef.org/index.htm

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updated 9 October 2007