People, Locations, Episodes

Sat, 07.11.1863

John Mitchell, Jr., Journalist born

John Mitchell Jr. was born on this date in 1863. He was a Black journalist, activist, and politician.

He was born in Richmond, VA, and as a child, he helped support his parents by selling newspapers. He graduated first in his class from Richmond Normal High School.  He became the editor of The Richmond Planet (later the Richmond Afro-American). Mitchell was a brilliant man of many talents. In 1890, he was elected to the Richmond City Council, but he became cynical of politics around the turn of the century.

He was a proponent of building Black businesses, pushing for economic and industrial development, and urging Blacks to save money and buy property. He founded the Mechanics Savings Bank in 1901 and later became Grand Chancellor of the Fraternal Order of the Knights of Pythias.  As a nonviolent soldier of social change, Mitchell led a boycott that eventually bankrupted a segregated streetcar company.  Mitchell was a delegate to two Republican conventions and ran for governor on an all-Black ticket. John Mitchell died in December. 3, 1929.

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