- Mitchell, Parren James
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▪ 2008American politicianborn April 29, 1922 , Baltimore, Md.died May 28, 2007, Baltimorewas a liberal Democrat from Maryland who spent eight terms (1971–87) as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and was the first African American since 1898 to be elected to Congress from a state below the Mason and Dixon Line. Mitchell, who graduated (1950) from Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) in Baltimore, sued to gain admission to graduate school at the University of Maryland. After earning his master's degree (1952) in sociology, he became active in Baltimore politics and the civil rights movement. During the administration of U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson, he headed Baltimore's antipoverty program. After losing a U.S. congressional bid in 1968, Mitchell won the seat in 1970. He became a vocal member of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group that formed in 1969, and as head of the Small Business Committee, he was instrumental in establishing programs to aid minority-owned businesses.
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Universalium. 2010.