WASHINGTON, DC – Today, four days after the 115th anniversary of the birth of noted civil rights activist Clarence Mitchell Jr., Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) announced the introduction of the Clarence Mitchell Jr. Statue Act in the United States House of Representatives. This legislation will direct the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to obtain a statue of Clarence Mitchell, Jr., and to place that statue in a permanent public location in the U.S. Capitol Building.
“I am honored to introduce this legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to memorialize the late, great Clarence Maurice Mitchell Jr. with a statue located in the United States Capitol Building," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "Clarence Mitchell Jr. was a one-of-a-kind civil rights activist who contributed to countless legislative victories for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as their chief lobbyist, including the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A beloved son of Baltimore and a recipient of both the Spingarn Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, I can think of few figures more deserving of this honor than Mr. Mitchell."
Congressman Mfume’s bill in the United States House of Representatives is co-sponsored by Maryland Representatives Johnny Olszewski and Sarah Elfreth. The legislation is also endorsed by the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), the National Urban League, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the National Action Network, the NAACP, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the Mitchell family.
"On behalf of the Mitchell family, I would like to thank our Congressman Mfume for the special recognition and honor in introducing this legislation recognizing the many contributions of my grandfather Clarence Mitchell, Jr.," said Keiffer Mitchell. "My grandfather was known as the '101st Senator' during his years as the Director of the NAACP, Washington Bureau because of his time spent in the United States Capitol advocating for civil rights and fairness for all Americans. From the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, Clarence Mitchell, Jr. had tremendous influence over the passage of those laws. It's only fitting that my grandfather would be honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol Building where he spent much of his career ensuring civil rights were protected for ALL Americans."
"The NAACP supports the Clarence Mitchell Jr. Statue Act and has long called for formal recognition of Clarence Mitchell Jr.’s historic contributions to civil rights," said Cedric Haynes, Senior Vice President for Policy and Legislative Affairs of the NAACP. "As the NAACP’s chief lobbyist, Mitchell testified before Congress hundreds of times and played a central role in securing passage of landmark civil rights legislation. This bill is consistent with longstanding NAACP resolutions urging national recognition of his legacy in the U.S. Capitol."
"Clarence Mitchell Jr. shepherded the passage of the fundamental civil rights laws that have formed the bedrock of many of the rights Black communities and others are fighting to preserve today," said Demetria McCain, Director of Policy for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. "Congress is taking the right step to honor his significant contributions to American history — and indeed, to our often suppressed Black history — with a statue that will endure, like his legacy, for the years to come."
Click HERE to read the bill's full text.
The Clarence Mitchell Jr. Statue Act would:
- Direct the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Clarence Mitchell, Jr., within 2 years of the Act's enactment;
- Authorize the Architect of the Capitol to enter into the agreement and related contracts required under this subsection on its behalf, under such terms and conditions as the Joint Committee may require;
- Direct the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to place the statue of Clarence Mitchell, Jr. in a permanent public location in the U.S. Capitol;
Authorize appropriations in such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
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