Janetta Whitt- Mitchell

Janetta Whitt-Mitchell, a devoted wife, friend, and community pillar in Mobile, Ala., departed this life on Sept. 28, 2025. Born in Mobile on Nov. 4, 1949 in the heart of the South, Janetta's life was a testament to resilience, warmth, and unwavering support for those around her. She was devoted to her late parents, Charlie and Mary Lee Waddy Whitt, and her late sister, Charlene Whitt.

Janetta shared a profound partnership with her husband, former State Representative Dr. Joseph C. Mitchell, whose trailblazing career in Alabama politics she championed with grace and dedication. As an executive assistant in the 1st Congressional District to the late U.S. Senator Howell Heflin from 1989-1998, she brought her own sharp intellect and compassionate spirit to public service. Her career included jobs with Keep Mobile Beautiful and the Mobile County Urban League.

Her home was a hub of hospitality, where jazz melodies – echoing her husband's musical talents – mingled with laughter and meaningful conversations that bridged generations. For over a decade, she worked part-time as a jazz programmer and announcer for a local radio station. She was a founding member of the Mystic Order of Jazz Obsessed and served as MOJO’s education coordinator, presenting jazz artist history and music at its monthly meetings. She served as president of the Gulf Coast Ethnic & Heritage Jazz Festival from 2006-2010.

Janetta graduated from Central High School where, among other activities, she was a member of the National Honor Thespian Society and the J.D. Whitfield Activities Dance Group. She graduated from Tuskegee Institute and also studied Fine Arts at Howard University and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and studied Accounting and Management at Texas A&M University. 

Janetta was president of the Mobile Chapter of the Alabama New South Coalition. A proud Democrat, she campaigned vigorously and tirelessly to help Democrats get elected at all levels of government. She was a past president of the Mobile Chapter of Blacks in Government. Over the years, she served as an officer of many other organizations, including the Mobile Human Relations Commission and Martin Luther King Jr. Business and Civic Organization. She formerly served as a deputy registrar of the Mobile County Board of Registrars and as a member of the board of Youth Empowered for Success and the American Civil Liberties Union’s Alabama Foundation. 

Janetta was an excellent cook and, while residing in College Station, Texas, even had her own cooking show on a PBS station there.