Mitchell, the son of Julio Colón Martínez of Coamo, Puerto Rico and Naomi Kinsey Westbrook Martínez, was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. His father abandoned him and his mother.

 Home for Mitchell, his mother, his maternal grandmother (Virginia Colston Westbrook, AKA:  “Granny”), his mother’s two younger sisters (i.e., Diane and Tanya), seven foster children and two roomers was 576 South Main Street in Chambersburg.  Mitchell’s mother worked and paid her mother to provide childcare.  Because his Aunt Tanya was just three years older than he, Mitchell considered her and the other children his brothers and sisters.

Mitchell’s mother developed tendonitis and could no longer work as an industrial sewing machine operator.  Fortunately, his uncle, Colston Richard Westbrook (one of Naomi’s older brothers) urged her to move to California. His great-grandmother, Mrs. Eliza McMullen Colston (AKA:  “Grand”), invited them to share her home on 4th Street in Richmond, California. Following her brother’s advice, his mother packed their belonging in her 1959 Oldsmobile 88 and drove across country, which was a four-day trip. Since she only had enough money for food and fuel, they slept in the car during the nights.  

 Mitchell attended Peres Elementary School on Pennsylvania Avenue in Richmond.  Initially, growing up in Richmond was difficult for him because Hispanic and African American youths bullied him—not that he had done or said anything to them.  But from their viewpoint, it seemed, Mitchell and his Pennsylvanian accent annoyed them. Most of the time he managed to outrun them, but at times he was brutalized.  But under the tutelage of his Uncle Colston, Mitchell learned to defend himself effectively; the bullying ceased; and Mitchell developed long-lasting friendships.

Grand was in her late eighties.  Shortly before she decided to return to her home state (i.e., Pennsylvania), Mitchell and his mother moved to an apartment in Richmond Annex. By then Mitchell was a teenager and attended El Cerrito High School. His grades were very good. His Uncle Colston advised him to join the wrestling team. Mitchell followed his uncle’s advice.

Mitchell asked his mother to attend his wrestling matches and said that he wanted her to sit on a bleacher and observe the matches without getting excited and shouting.  At his first match she did as her son requested. He won his matches. On the way home she drove in silence.  Finally, Mitchell asked:  “Mom, what did you think of my matches?” “You did well, but I’m not going to attend any more of your matches.” “Why?” he asked. “Because you expect me to sit on the bleacher like a little unemotional dumbbell while everyone else is jumping up and down, hollering and cheering for their sons, relatives and friends and I’m not going to do that again.”  “All right, Mom,” he conceded, “you can holler as much as you want.”  “Okay then; I’ll attend your matches.”

In the interim he and his mother moved to El Cerrito, and Mitchell attended Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California after his high school graduation. His Uncle Colston, who was an instructor at the college, continued to mentor him. Mitchell played football and threw the discus. Although he worked at a fast food restaurant in Oakland, he devoted sufficient time to his studies and enjoyed fraternizing with his classmates, coworkers and friends. He graduated from college, earning an AA Degree.