A day in the life of a political activist and single dad who spends 20-hour work days traveling the country but always flies back home to his son

Reuters

Maurice Mitchell balances his two full-time jobs: being the national director of the Working Families Party and a father.
To be present in his son’s life, Mitchell sacrifices sleep and stability for constant plane rides back and forth from San Diego to New York City.
Mitchell wakes up at around 4 a.m. every day and works until 11 p.m.
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Maurice Mitchell works two full-time jobs: He’s the national director for the Working Families Party, a grassroots group that advocates for progressive causes, and he cares for his 3-year-old son.

Balancing fatherhood and leading a political party means Mitchell typically travels the country on 20-hour work days, sleeping on planes and in Ubers multiple days a week.

But being a father is why Mitchell works a hectic schedule in the first place. Mitchell gets help raising his son during travel from his son’s mom (who lives separately) and nanny. While he misses his son on the road, he believes actively fighting against climate change will allow his child to inherit a better planet.

"It’s a pretty intense schedule, but I think the road and the requirements of the job are super intense, and I actually think it’s a blessing I have the duty of parenthood to anchor me and bring me back home," Mitchell told Business Insider. "Ultimately, what connects me to my purpose is my relationship to [my son]. That’s why I go so hard in the field."

Here’s a day in the life of a community organizer and political-party leader who balances full-time fatherhood and traveling the country.

Maurice Mitchell requested Business Insider not use his son’s name.

The 39-year-old party leader began actively organizing communities while at Howard University — and he also performed in political punk-rock bands.

Courtesy of Maurice Mitchell

Mitchell said he began organizing after police shot Prince Jones, a classmate of his at Howard University.

Mitchell went on to become a leader in the Movement for Black Lives after cofounding Blackbird, a strategic support and guidance platform for activists and groups that are part of the movement. Mitchell created the platform shortly after traveling to Ferguson, Missouri, to protest Michael Brown‘s killing, a police-shooting death in 2014 that helped spur the Black Lives Matter movement.

For a few years, Mitchell was also the lead vocalist of the hardcore band Cipher, which released several demos and EPs, and performed in the 2014 Afropunk Fest.

As the national director of the Working Families Party, he manages dozens of staff in 14 state offices. He said the bulk of his work involves creating a supportive, harmonious environment for all WFP employees.

Courtesy of Maurice Mitchell

The Working Families Party is a grassroots political party that works to elect progressive candidates for office. The party also advocates for progressive policies, such as a higher minimum wage and solutions for climate change.

Mitchell, who did not work with WFP previously, took over for former national director Dan Cantor in 2018.

Having offices in over a dozen states requires Mitchell to constantly be traveling. He has to find ways to balance time in San Diego (where his son lives) and campaigning for progressive causes across the country.

Courtesy of Maurice Mitchell

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Allana Akhtar)