Elected officials and civil rights leaders unveiled a memorial Wednesday in Annapolis dedicated to the first African American to represent Maryland in Congress, the late Parren J. Mitchell.

In 1970, Mitchell won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Baltimore, where he was born, and part of Baltimore County. Over his eight-term congressional tenure, which concluded in 1987, Mitchell earned a reputation as a champion of the Civil Rights Movement. He was one of 12 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

“If you believe in fighting racism, you make a commitment for the rest of your life,” Mitchell said in a speech honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in 1989, according to his congressional biography. “There’s no getting off that train. … Our job is to fight it every day, to continue to shove it down and when it rises up to shove it down even harder.”

Anne Arundel County’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and Caucus of African American Leaders raised $100,000 to erect the monument in Annapolis.

In a statement, Carl Snowden, convener of the Caucus of African American Leaders, called the memorial a “beacon of light to teach young people” and said it “stands not just as a tribute to a remarkable man, but as a symbol of progress and possibility.”

“I thank the community for their support in funding this monument,” Snowden said. “We are also grateful for the City’s support in acknowledging Mitchell’s legacy. Together, we ensure that future generations understand the power of principled leadership and the importance of civic engagement.”

Mitchell graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore in 1940 and then enlisted in the Army, serving as a commissioned officer and company commander with an all-Black infantry unit. After earning the Purple Heart for his service in World War II and being discharged in 1946, Mitchell enrolled in what is now Morgan State University, according to his congressional biography.

He then successfully sued the University of Maryland for admission to its main campus in College Park, ultimately becoming the school’s first Black graduate student. With a master’s degree in sociology, he went on to oversee probation work for Baltimore City Circuit Court and teach as a professor at Morgan State.

Mitchell died in 2007.

The Annapolis City Council unanimously voted in April to put the monument at the Roger Pip Moyer Recreation Center. In addition to providing the land, the city will also be responsible for taking care of the black stone memorial, which features three panels picturing Mitchell and describing his life.

“Annapolis is proud to host this memorial in honor of Parren J. Mitchell,” Mayor Gavin Buckley said in a statement. “His life’s work continues to inspire us to push for justice, equity, and opportunity for all.”