The first Black woman to run for president and the 1968 presidential candidate for the Communist Party, Charlene Mitchell, passed away on December 14 in Manhattan. She had a 92-year-old age.
Charlene Mitchell visited many places, connecting with other lefties in Europe, South America, and Africa. She was one of the first Americans to draw attention to Nelson Mandela’s situation and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. She was one of the most well-known and well-liked American Communist leaders by 1968.
When she was just 38 years old, Ms. Mitchell was named the Communist Party’s presidential candidate. She accepted the nomination in front of a banner that said, “Black and White Unite to Fight Racism, Poverty, and War!” at the organization’s convention in Manhattan.
Shirley Chisholm, a representative from New York, ran for office four years before she became the first Black woman to run for president in a major party.
Charlene Mitchell’s husband: Was Charlene Mitchell married?
Charlene Mitchell was married to Bill Mitchell. The marriage ended in divorce.
Even though she and her running mate, Michael Zagarell, appeared on just four state ballots and received just over 1,000 votes, her candidacy gave the Communist Party a new face at a time when the student-led New Left was gaining ground in left-wing politics and some party members had grown weary of its uncritical support of the Soviet Union.
