European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse The a act s Doil Magazine by Mike Feinsilber United press International when Clarence Mitchell went to Washington he could lobby in the Halls of con Gress but at lunchtime he had to go to the Railroad station. The restaurants in the Capitol were closed to people had to heed everywhere in washing ton. All but one of the downtown restaurants were off limits. Most government buildings were segregated Al though a Blank could get a meal at the cafeteria at the Interior department. Interior Secretary Harold Ickes insisted on Parks operated by Ickes department were open to All but those operated by the District of Columbia were did t grasp the difference however and kept violating the Rule. City officials said children could mingle when the Parks were officially closed in the Early morning or late a ening but not when officially opened. Children were still confused Mitchell remembers so finally someone in charge came up with a plan when the american Flag was Down the children could play together. When the american Flag was flying the children had to separate by trolleys were desegregated but Blacks could t get jobs As Motorman. Blacks could sit anywhere on local buses until the buses crossed the Potomac to Blacks had to ride in the Back Whites in front. Mitchell came to Washington in 1941 to work in the labor department. Since 1950, As Washington director of the a act he has been the nation s chief lobbyist for civil rights Laws. Now 67, and with the a act under new leadership Hewill retire in december but remain for two More years As head of the leadership conference on civil rights a umbrella group which Speaks for 146 organizations. In his own quiet Way Clarence Mitchell worked con Gress through the hectic years of demonstrations and confrontations making certain there were enacting clauses in the Laws spawned by the civil rights revolution. Those Laws concern Public accommodations equal Job Opportunity fair housing school desegregation and voting rights. Most were passed after Long fights to end filibusters and required skillful mane vering and lobby ing. Mitchell was is a big mild Man who finds it hard to say anything Nasty about almost acquired the politician s habit of getting along with enemies. Today s adversary May be tomorrow s ally Mitchell knew and he would say nothing to prevent that from likes telling about one time when he staged his own personal civil rights was in the 1950s. The courts had ruled segregation illegal in interstate transportation. Southern Railroad stations had removed the White and coloured signs for waiting rooms but expected them to be observed was in Florence s.c., returning Home after a speech. He entered the waiting room reserved for Whites. He was the station House he told the officer in charge that segregated facilities were against the so replied the desk sergeant. But that s not the Law in South from deep within the Jailhouse Mitchell roars at the memory came another Southern voice that Ain t the Law in Georgia either his Case was thrown out he went Back to the Railroad station and then came Home to change the Law in sout Carolina and Georgia and everywhere else. That s been his life. He s been in Washington Lon enough to see Black people not Only eat in the Capi Tol but also sit on the supreme court. It is unreal when you think about it he says of the old segregated Washington. Some people criticize Heyoung people for not remembering How it was in the old Days. But i think it s comforting that people just can t conceive of something that monstrous happening. I Cher ish that in Young was the time Mitchell says when he sat in the House or Senate gallery and heard members of Congress talk about an interview he was asked if there Ever was a time when he thought to himself there before me truly is a bigot i guess when i was younger i might have thought that but As i have grown older i have become Tiore considerate of Why people have extreme views on things he think generally they Are posturing. Many people will make ugly racial remarks but at the same time have a to tally different attitude in their Day to Day relations. There was hardly a member of the Senate who eve if he made racial slurs would not be found having relationships with Blacks Back in their Home think of sen. Olin Johnston of South Carolina. He would use the world Nigger and make inflammatory speeches on the floor but you had a feeling he did t think it was the greatest activity he could engage in. A Blac person from South Carolina came up once to testify and Clarence Mitchell. Champion of civil rights sunday october 1, 1978 he gave him every kind of deference and publicly called him my Friend it was a political technique which Whites in the South and to some extent the Blacks who were Active in politics accepted As a system of survival in a bigoted society. The notion was that whatever a Man might say in his speeches was designed to fool the racists. Huey Long the late governor of Louisiana got Blacks in hospitals but made it acceptable to prejudice people. He sold people on the idea of having Blacks As nurses on the grounds they would t want Whites handling Black patients. It kept him out of trouble with out and out racists and it did produce some jobs but my problem with that kind of reasoning is that it perpetuated segregation and racial discord so in the Long pull it seemed to me a very negative Way of doing things Mitchell was born in Baltimore 30 Miles fro Washington and has lived there most of his life commuting to Washington for 38 years. His wife and a son practice Law in Baltimore and he in tends to join them next year. His brother Parren is a congressman from Baltimore. One son is a lawyer one state senator and real estate broker one a doctor and one is involved in rehabilitating housing. Mitchell is a graduate of Lincoln University near Oxford pa., which started As a school for runaway slaves and of the University of Maryland Law school. His parents were poor and All seven children took jobs to contribute to the family income. Sometimes the Gas or electricity was turned off. Mitchell s father worked at menial tasks thou Hmitchell thinks he would have been a Fine professional musician if Given the Chance. He played piano violin and guitar and a few other instruments. One of Mitchell s grandsons has been helping pack his possessions from an office filled with the Memorabilia of nearly 30 years including framed congressional resolutions of tribute to him and autographed pictures of presi dents. He has known them All since Franklin d. Johnson is his favorite. From a Black perspective he says lbs May have been greater even than Lin relationship started in conflict. Johnson As Senate Leader was wary of moving on civil rights had some awful fights on that Mitchell says. He said we ought to have court decisions and executive orders but not legislation. It would split the democratic party it would mean we would t get social issues Johnson moved into the White House he sur prised you had a Man who had come out of a very cautious background and who knew the political risks yet he was farsighted enough to see this was the Only Way the country could go. Not Only would he Lead it but he would get Down and do the work that made things happen. I thought Johnson had a lot of courage. Putting Thurgood Marshall on the supreme court that required courage. He was very analytical about it. When he appointed Andrew Brimmer to the Federal Reserve Board he told me people expect negroes to have skill As lawyers Doc tors and teachers but they Don t expect them to know anything about Money and he said if we re going to change this country in a Way that will give Black people respect and admit them to All parts of society we be got to make it possible for them to be in these Fields too he took great Pride in saying to me you did t have anything to do with this. It was a decision i made myself and it was True. I certainly never thought of asking for anybody on the Federal Reserve and As far As 1 know nobody else had the stars and stripes Page 9
