Carl B. Stokes

Office:	Mayor, Cleveland, Ohio
Political party:	Democrat
Term of office:	1968–1971
Preceded by:	Ralph S. Locher
Succeeded by:	Ralph J. Perk
Date of birth:	June 21, 1927
Date of death:	April 3, 1996
Profession:	Lawyer

Carl Burton Stokes (June 21, 1927–April 3, 1996) was an American politician of the Democratic party who served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Elected on November 7, 1967, he was the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city. Image File history File links Carl-b-stokes. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Ohio Cuyahoga Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 213. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Ralph S. Locher (1914 - 2004) was an American politician of the Democratic party who served as mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. ... Ralph Joseph Perk (January 19, 1914–April 21, 1999) was an American politician of the Republican party and served as the 52nd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. ... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... June 21 is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 193 days remaining. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The Mayor of Cleveland is the chief executive of the citys government. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Ohio Cuyahoga Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 213. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is in modern times the title of the highest ranking municipal officer, who discharges certain judicial and administrative functions, in many systems an elected politician, who serves as chief executive and/or ceremonial official of many types of municipalities. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...

Stokes was born in Cleveland to Charles Stokes, a laundry worker who died when Carl was two years old, and Louise (Stone) Stokes, a cleaning woman who then raised Carl, and his brother, Louis Stokes, in Cleveland's first federally funded housing project for the poor, Outhwaite Homes. Although a good student, Stokes dropped out of high school in 1944, worked briefly at Thompson Products (later TRW), then joined the U.S. Army at age 18. After his discharge in 1946, Stokes returned to Cleveland and earned his high school diploma in 1947. Louis Stokes (born February 23, 1925) is a Democratic politician from Ohio. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... TRW Incorporated was an American corporation involved in a number of businesses, mostly defense-related, but including automotive supply and credit reporting. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

He then attended several colleges before earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954. He graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1956 and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1957. While studying law he was a probation officer. For four years, he served as assistant prosecutor and became partner in the law firm of Stokes, Stokes, Character, and Terry, continuing that practice into his political career. Washington Avenue Bridge at night The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, almost always abbreviated U of M, is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // History The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law is a third-tier law school (according to U.S. News Rankings scale ranging from 1st tier to 4th tier) that traces its origins to the founding of Cleveland Law School in 1897 as the first evening law school in the state and... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

Martin Luther King, Jr. (left), Carl B. Stokes (center), and O.M. Hoover (right) in 1967.

Elected the first black Democrat to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1962, he served 3 terms and narrowly lost a bid for mayor of Cleveland in 1965. His victory two years later drew national attention, as he was the first African-American mayor of a large American city. Able to mobilize both black and white voters, he defeated Seth Taft, the grandson of a former U.S. president, with a 50.5 majority. As mayor, Stokes opened city hall jobs to blacks and women. He also initated Cleveland: Now!, a public and private funding program aimed at the revitalization of Cleveland neighborhoods. When the Glenville Shootout occurred under Stokes, it was discovered that Fred (Ahmed) Evans, one of major characters in the conflict had received some $6,000 in funds from the program. As a result, donations began to sink. However, Stokes pulled through and was reelected in 1969. In 1971, he chose not to run for a third term, and Ralph J. Perk became his successor. Image File history File links Stokes_and_MLK.jpg‎ The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Image File history File links Stokes_and_MLK.jpg‎ The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Ohio has a bicameral legislature, the Ohio General Assembly, consisting a House of Representatives and Senate (the Ohio State Senate), based on its constitution of 1851. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Ohio Cuyahoga Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 213. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Seth Chase Taft is an American politician of the Republican party. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... The Glenville Shootout was a violent series of events that occurred from July 23, 1968 to July 28, 1968 in Cleveland, Ohio. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Ralph Joseph Perk (January 19, 1914–April 21, 1999) was an American politician of the Republican party and served as the 52nd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. ...

After his mayoral administration, Stokes lectured to colleges around the country. In 1972 became the first black anchorman in New York City when he took a job with television station WNBC-TV. He returned to Cleveland in 1980 and began serving as general legal counsel for the United Auto Workers. From 1983 to 1994 he served as municipal judge in Cleveland where he developed a reputation as a fair judge with a common sense approach to the law. President Bill Clinton then appointed him U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. He was awarded 12 honorary degrees, numerous civic awards, and represented the United States on numerous goodwill trips abroad by request of the White House. In 1970, the National League of Cities voted him its first black president-elect. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Big Apple Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ... WNBC-TV, NBC4 is the flagship TV station of the NBC television network, with studios located in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... The United Auto Workers (UAW), officially the United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America International Union, is one of the largest labor unions in North America, with more than 700,000 members in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico organized into approximately 950 union locals. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States of America. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... The National League of Cities is a group of American mayors and councilmen. ...

Stokes married Shirley Edwards in 1958. Their daughter is journalist Lori Stokes. They were divorced in 1973. In 1981, he married Raija Kostadinov, whom he divorced in 1993 and remarried in 1996. He had three children from his first marriage: Carl Jr., Cordi, and Cordell, and a daughter, Cynthia, and stepson, Sasha Kostadinov, from his second marriage. He was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus while serving as Ambassador to the Seychelles and placed on medical leave. He returned to Cleveland and died at the Cleveland Clinic. 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lori Stokes born 1963 is co-anchor of Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at Noon on WABC-TV in New York City. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Cleveland Clinic is a prominent health care center in Cleveland, Ohio, founded in 1921 by four prominent physicians, now with approximately 1,600 staff physicians providing for 2 million outpatient visits and 50,000 hospital admissions per year. ...

References

• The Encyclopedia Of Cleveland History by Cleveland Bicentennial Commission (Cleveland, Ohio), David D. Van Tassel (Editor), and John J. Grabowski (Editor) ISBN 0253330564
• Carl B. Stokes and the Rise of Black Political Power by Leonard N. Moore ISBN 0252027604

External links

• Promises of Power: The Autobiography of Carl B. Stokes