Meet the Candidate

About Ronald Mitchell

Early Years

Ronald Mitchell was born in Chicago on September 30, 1968. His father, Fred Jackson was born and raised in Natchez, Mississippi on a farm, where he grew up working in cotton fields with his own parents, who were share croppers and domestic labors.

Ronald’s mother, Elizabeth Mitchell was born and raised in Oxford, Mississippi in a rural area, where she grew up picking cotton with her own parents, who also were share croppers. Despite receiving many death threats from the community because she was in support of civil rights, she continued to encourage people to get involved. 

Ronald’s mother preserved, completed school and eventually migrated to Chicago to seek better opportunities. It was there, on the Southside of Chicago where Ronald’s parents met. His mother was a cashier at a local super market, for 35 years, and father worked as a carpenter for a small construction company. Ronald’s father worked in the construction industry for 36 years and retired as a foreman.  Like his son, he is active in the community and volunteers his time to help transform the environment.   

The College Years

When he was a child his mother taught him the best way to serve his community was by setting a good example. As a result, of his mother’s guidance Ronald overcame many obstacles by working hard to get a good education. After college, Ronald deferred law school and corporate opportunities to work within the community for a year to help revitalize youth and improve conditions in urban neighborhoods plagued with violence.

As an advocate and organizer he recognized to improve conditions for people in the community he would have to get involved politically by working with leaders to change laws and politics.

With this purpose Ronald pursued a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh, in 2002, where he received many honors. After law school he returned to Chicago to volunteer at a small law firm, and then moved to Atlanta to attain his MBA while he taught business law and management. As a graduate student to improve poor conditions within the community and student retention, he became the first student to simultaneously serve as a professor, Graduate student government association president and member on the board of trustee at Clark Atlanta University. Ronald is also a graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.

Why I Am Running

As a product of a multi-generational household located in the gang and drug infested ghetto on the south side of Chicago. Ronald’s had limited resources and received second class education at an early age. Ronald was told that athletics was his ticket out of the slum of the ghetto. One day while walking out of the YMCA, Ronald was held up by gun point. His attacker requested all of his possessions, which at that time was only $2.50. With God’s grace and a lot of quick thinking, Ronald advocated for his life and pleaded with the gun man not to harm him.  Recognizing his attacker to be a member of the largest gang in the country, he began to convey what the two of them had in common, and without fear of losing his life continued to talk until he connected with the person. Ronald convinced, the gun man that it would be for the betterment of both of their lives not to harm him. This plea for assembly prayerfully worked, and the gun man put his weapon down and agreed there was a better way.

From that moment on, Ronald became an advocate, educator, and a change agent. Using his innovative approach and insight, he has inspired people, communities and organizations to transform and extract their greatness to overcome adversity and soar to new heights.  People ask why Ronald is running for U.S. Congress; they may point to the fact that he is an outsider because he is not entrenched in the political establishment or the fact that he is not a career politician. Ronald looked at the problems plaguing our community and the nation at large, and because he has spent many years serving his community as a change advocate and the nation as a soldier, he recognized that something must be done.  Just as he confronted a young man while being robbed at gun point he is passionate about finding solutions for the 8th district of Virginia and building better  communities.