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Littleton “Lit” Mitchell of Delaware City, a champion for civil rights, died July 6 from injuries sustained in a head-on vehicle collision. He was 90.
The Delaware State Police stated in a press release Mitchell was traveling eastbound on Wrangle Hill Road, east of Clarks Corner Road, toward Delaware City at about 2:49 p.m. when, for an unknown reason, his 2009 Toyota Prius drifted across the center line and collided with a 2008 GMC Savana, operated by Richard F. Pilichowski, 55.
DSP stated the GMC was pushed off the north side of the roadway and traveled into the fence surrounding the Valero refinery property for a second impact.
The Toyota Prius rotated from the initial impact in a counter clockwise direction and continued eastbound to its final resting place on the south side of Wrangle Hill Road facing westbound.
Mitchell and Pilichowski were both transported to the Christiana Hospital Emergency Room.
Pilichowski was treated for minor injuries and released.
Mitchell underwent surgery and was pronounced dead of multiple injuries.
The investigation is continuing by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.
Civil rights leader
The AARP honored Mitchell in December 2008 with the Andrus Award for Community Service for his work, the majority of which he did while working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which he joined as a teenager. He worked his way up to president of the Wilmington branch and later the state branch.
Kim Iapalucci, AARP of Delaware director of communications, stated in an email message that Mitchell was the recipient of the Andrus Award for his remarkable efforts to generate positive change in Delaware.
“His work and achievements reflect AARP’s vision of bringing a lifetime of experience and leadership to serve all generations,” she stated.
Mitchell, who was raised in Milford, told the Transcript about a time when he saw a woman using a tree branch to sweep out a chicken house many years ago in downstate Delaware. He discovered the woman was a migrant worker on a farm and was living with two children in the tiny space.
He once traveled to farms around Delaware and took pictures to expose and close migrant labor camps.
Mitchell said his ambition to change the divide between minorities and whites picked up steam when he was in the U.S. Air Corps in Tuskegee, Ala., where he was a Tuskegee Airman. He was awarded the Congressional Medal for his service.
He said he had wanted to be a pilot since he was a little boy.
The Web site for the Littleton Mitchell Fellows Program states that Mitchell’s efforts helped end segregation in hospitals, hotels, theaters, a golf course and a cemetery. He also helped integrate volunteer fire companies.
Mitchell advocated in the area of criminal justice to stop racially-motivated charges against a black minister and 10 teenagers, and helped gain equal treatment of inmates in Delaware prisons.
He also worked for equal opportunity employment.
Mitchell also taught emotionally maladjusted children at the Gov. Bacon Health Center in Delaware City.
He said Delaware has come a long way since the days of segregation.
“You can sleep anywhere you want to sleep. We have people in banks, people who have become mayors of towns, especially in downstate areas,” Mitchell said. “I still think there is a little bit of segregation in the housing area, but I’m certain we are working on that.”
He said he watched the views of America evolve, which caused his own to change.
“I’ve learned everybody isn’t bad and I had to learn that because I was one hell of a rascal,” Mitchell said.
He said he and renowned civil rights lawyer Louis L. Redding thought they would never live to see a black person be president of the U.S. or a federal judge in Delaware, but they were alive when Gregory Sleet was sworn in as the first African American federal judge in Delaware and he was alive when Barack Obama was elected as president in November 2008.
Mitchell worked at the polls at the 2008 General Election and heard countless senior citizens say it was their first time voting.
“It was just fantastic for me to see people come in wheelchairs, on crutches,” he said. “I was amazed when I saw it and I was happy to be alive. We have improved not only here, but throughout the world.”
Mitchell was preceded in death by his wife, Jane, in 2004.
Littleton “Lit” Mitchell of Delaware City, a champion for civil rights, died July 6 from injuries sustained in a head-on vehicle collision. He was 90.
The Delaware State Police stated in a press release Mitchell was traveling eastbound on Wrangle Hill Road, east of Clarks Corner Road, toward Delaware City at about 2:49 p.m. when, for an unknown reason, his 2009 Toyota Prius drifted across the center line and collided with a 2008 GMC Savana, operated by Richard F. Pilichowski, 55.
DSP stated the GMC was pushed off the north side of the roadway and traveled into the fence surrounding the Valero refinery property for a second impact.
The Toyota Prius rotated from the initial impact in a counter clockwise direction and continued eastbound to its final resting place on the south side of Wrangle Hill Road facing westbound.
Mitchell and Pilichowski were both transported to the Christiana Hospital Emergency Room.
Pilichowski was treated for minor injuries and released.
Mitchell underwent surgery and was pronounced dead of multiple injuries.
The investigation is continuing by the Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit.
Civil rights leader
The AARP honored Mitchell in December 2008 with the Andrus Award for Community Service for his work, the majority of which he did while working with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which he joined as a teenager. He worked his way up to president of the Wilmington branch and later the state branch.
Kim Iapalucci, AARP of Delaware director of communications, stated in an email message that Mitchell was the recipient of the Andrus Award for his remarkable efforts to generate positive change in Delaware.
“His work and achievements reflect AARP’s vision of bringing a lifetime of experience and leadership to serve all generations,” she stated.
Mitchell, who was raised in Milford, told the Transcript about a time when he saw a woman using a tree branch to sweep out a chicken house many years ago in downstate Delaware. He discovered the woman was a migrant worker on a farm and was living with two children in the tiny space.
He once traveled to farms around Delaware and took pictures to expose and close migrant labor camps.
Mitchell said his ambition to change the divide between minorities and whites picked up steam when he was in the U.S. Air Corps in Tuskegee, Ala., where he was a Tuskegee Airman. He was awarded the Congressional Medal for his service.
He said he had wanted to be a pilot since he was a little boy.
The Web site for the Littleton Mitchell Fellows Program states that Mitchell’s efforts helped end segregation in hospitals, hotels, theaters, a golf course and a cemetery. He also helped integrate volunteer fire companies.
Mitchell advocated in the area of criminal justice to stop racially-motivated charges against a black minister and 10 teenagers, and helped gain equal treatment of inmates in Delaware prisons.
He also worked for equal opportunity employment.
Mitchell also taught emotionally maladjusted children at the Gov. Bacon Health Center in Delaware City.
He said Delaware has come a long way since the days of segregation.
“You can sleep anywhere you want to sleep. We have people in banks, people who have become mayors of towns, especially in downstate areas,” Mitchell said. “I still think there is a little bit of segregation in the housing area, but I’m certain we are working on that.”
He said he watched the views of America evolve, which caused his own to change.
“I’ve learned everybody isn’t bad and I had to learn that because I was one hell of a rascal,” Mitchell said.
He said he and renowned civil rights lawyer Louis L. Redding thought they would never live to see a black person be president of the U.S. or a federal judge in Delaware, but they were alive when Gregory Sleet was sworn in as the first African American federal judge in Delaware and he was alive when Barack Obama was elected as president in November 2008.
Mitchell worked at the polls at the 2008 General Election and heard countless senior citizens say it was their first time voting.
“It was just fantastic for me to see people come in wheelchairs, on crutches,” he said. “I was amazed when I saw it and I was happy to be alive. We have improved not only here, but throughout the world.”
Mitchell was preceded in death by his wife, Jane, in 2004.
