▁civil ▁rights , ▁civ ic , ▁labor , ▁religious , ▁and ▁frat ernal ▁organizations ▁to ▁manage ▁political ▁operations ▁in ▁Washington ▁for ▁civil ▁rights . ▁Roy ▁Wil kins , ▁NA AC P ▁executive ▁director , ▁served ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁L CC R , ▁and ▁Mitchell ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁legisl ative ▁chairman . ▁" He ▁directed ▁the ▁strategy ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁ful fill ment ▁of ▁the ▁goals ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement ." ▁The ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁was ▁a ▁step ▁toward ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁constitution al ▁rights ▁of ▁all ▁citizens . ▁▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁was ▁a ▁year ▁of ▁serious ▁losses ▁for ▁Mitchell : ▁his ▁father ▁died ▁of ▁cancer ▁in ▁June ▁and ▁his ▁brother ▁Lorenzo ▁in ▁a ▁car ▁accident . ▁Although ▁conf ined ▁to ▁bed ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Lorenzo ' s ▁death , ▁his ▁mother ▁Els ie ▁Davis ▁Mitchell ▁had ▁her ▁other ▁sons ▁carry ▁her ▁into ▁the ▁church ▁for ▁his ▁fun eral ▁service , ▁so ▁that ▁she ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁use ▁a ▁wheel ch air . ▁Mitchell ' s ▁mother ▁died ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 9 ; ▁his ▁poem ▁in ▁her ▁honor , ▁" A ▁Star ▁is ▁a ▁Small ▁R ew ard ," ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁Af ro - American . ▁ ▁Mitchell ▁continued ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁an ▁NA AC P ▁lo bb y ist ▁to ▁Congress ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁as ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement ▁reached ▁new ▁pe aks ▁in ▁demonstr ations ▁and