African American History Month: Carl B. and Louis Stokes

Many of you might be familiar with the name Stokes simply from the sites you see on your way to the Law Library. For example, the Cleveland Public Library on Superior Ave. is dedicated to Louis Stokes. In addition, the Federal Court House Building is named after Carl B. Stokes. Another example is the Louis Stokes rapid station at Windermere. While many of you probably are aware of the basic facts concerning the lives of these two individuals, in honor of African American History Month let’s remember some of their major accomplishments and point out a few resources that the Law Library has on these two legal figures.

Carl and Louis Stokes were brothers who were both active in Cleveland’s legal community. Louis Stokes is a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and is perhaps best known for his work on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Terry v. Ohio (1968). He was also a member of the House of Representatives and served on a number of House committees which investigated issues such as the Iran-Contra Affair and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Carl Stokes is most famous for being the first African American Democrat to be elected to the House of Representatives. He served three terms as a Representative, with his first term being in 1962. In addition, Carl also became the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1967. At that time, Cleveland was the eighth-largest city in the U.S.  As mayor, he developed and initiated an urban renewal program called “Cleveland Now!” Despite some setbacks in his first term as mayor, such as the Glenville Shootout, Carl was re-elected in 1969 and remained a strong advocate for African American rights during both his terms as mayor.  Like his brother, Carl also earned his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall.

Some books that the Law Library has relating to the Stokes brothers include:

1. Carl B. Stokes and the rise of black political power – F 499.C653 S866 2002 (Ohio Room)
2. Checkmate in Cleveland: The rhetoric of confrontation during the Stokes years – F 499.C657 Z36 (Ohio Room)
3. Promises of power: Then and now – by Carl B. Stokes – F 499. C653 S862 1989 (Special Collections)
4. Black victory: Carl Stokes and the winning of Cleveland – F499.C6 S85 1968 (Special Collections)
5. Terry v. Ohio [videorecording] : A forty-year retrospective – lectured by Louis Stokes – KFKFO576.5 .T47 2003 (Law Base Media Collection)

For additional information and images, please visit The Cleveland Memory Project and the Western Reserve Society’s virtual exhibit