▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁pay ▁over due ▁tu ition . ▁ ▁Mitchell ▁also ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Minnesota , ▁after ▁which ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁executive ▁secretary ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Urban ▁League ▁in ▁St . ▁Paul ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 . ▁While ▁in ▁Minnesota , ▁he ▁led ▁a ▁successful ▁campaign ▁to ▁end ▁employ ment ▁disc rim ination ▁practices ▁against ▁African ▁Americans ▁who ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁Career ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁Mitchell ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁Af ro - American ▁newspaper . ▁He ▁wrote ▁articles ▁about ▁the ▁inf am ous ▁Scot ts bor o ▁case ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁He ▁also ▁covered ▁the ▁l yn ch ing ▁of ▁Matthew ▁Williams ▁on ▁December ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁in ▁Sal is bury , ▁Maryland ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sh ore ▁of ▁Maryland . ▁The ▁young ▁black ▁man ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁killing ▁his ▁white ▁employ er . ▁Mitchell ▁had ▁not ▁seen ▁the ▁l yn ch ing ▁but ▁arrived ▁as ▁the ▁white ▁mob ▁set ▁Williams ' ▁body ▁on ▁fire ▁and ▁drag ged ▁it ▁through ▁the ▁black ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁White ▁journalist ▁H . L . ▁Men cken ▁also ▁covered ▁these ▁events ▁for ▁The ▁Baltimore ▁Sun , ▁attack ing ▁newsp apers ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Sh ore ▁for ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁a ▁rac ist ▁atmosphere ▁and ▁being ▁too ▁cow ard ly ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁l yn ch ing . ▁After ▁Mitchell ▁returned ▁home ▁and ▁rec ount ed ▁the ▁events , ▁his ▁brother ▁Par ren ▁v owed