The Papers of Clarence Mitchell Jr.: 1946-1954

Clarence Mitchell, Jr (1911-1984) served on the US government's Fair Employment Practices Committee, established by President Franklin Roosevelt to curb racial discrimination in the defense industry, from 1942 to 1946, and later served as labor secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and as director of the NAACP's Washington Bureau, where he played a key role in lobbying for landmark Civil Rights legislation between 1946 and 1954. Prepared by Watson (State U. of New York at Old Westbury), this volume is the third volume in a projected five-volume set collecting the papers of Mitchell. Together with the fourth volume, it collects documents from Mitchell's years with the NAACP as labor secretary and director of the Washington Bureau. This volume covers 1946-1950, while the fourth volume covers 1951-1954. The documents in this volume consist entirely of monthly and annual reports to the NAACP periodically written by Mitchell in the capacities of his office. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Born in Baltimore in 1911, the late Clarence Mitchell Jr., was a pivotal figure in the fight for civil rights in America. He led the struggle for passage of the 1957 Civil Rights Act, the 1960 Civil Rights Act, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. ABOUT THE EDITOR---Denton L. Watson, formerly director of public relations for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is associate professor at SUNY College at Old Westbury and project director and editor of The Papers of Clarence Mitchell, Jr. He is author of Lion in the Lobby, Clarence Mitchell, Jr.'s Struggle for the Passage of Civil Rights Laws.