By Sigourney Bell, The Monitor Digital
Cleveland’s first Black mayor, Carl B. Stokes, was also the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city. Through legislation and advocacy, Stokes set the foundation for the diverse building blocks the city still relies on today.
Stokes was remarkable for the city of Cleveland, Cleveland Restoration Society President Kathleen Crouther said.
“He is known for bringing a lot of diversity into the ranks of the employees of Cleveland City Hall,” Crouther said.
Being elected in 1968, a time when Cleveland’s population was majority white, was a feat, Crouther said. Stokes’ opponent, Seth Taft, was the grandson of 27th President William Howard Taft.
With Martin Luther King Jr. as his campaign manager and support from Black and white business owners, Stokes narrowly secured his victory.
Cleveland Restoration Society dedicated a historical marker for Stokes in 2022, Crouther said, as part of a city-wide trail honoring civil rights pioneers.
“We have a great deal of respect for him, and I think it was our second marker because it seemed like such a big omission that there was no historical marker at Cleveland City Hall,” she said.
Though Stokes left office in 1972, his influence and legislation remains in Cleveland even now under the leadership of current Mayor Justin Bibb, the city’s fourth Black mayor.
“The mayor is really big on sustainability and protecting our climate which is something Carl B. Stokes paved the way for,” Communications Coordinator for the City of Cleveland Fatimah Harris said.
Stokes emphasized the need to maintain a healthy and safe water quality in Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. His advocacy in 1969, after the final fire on the Cuyahoga River made international news, spurred the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the first annual Earth Day the following year.
Stokes’ commitment to preserving Cleveland’s freshwater resources is not lost on Bibb, Crouther said.
“Justin Bibb said something really amazing. He said, ‘I stand on the shoulders of Carl Stokes.’ He said, ‘You don’t get Justin Bibb,’” Crouther said. “I remember that because that’s a poignant way to phrase it.”
The National Association of Black Journalists hosted its 50th anniversary in Cleveland, connecting back to Stokes who left Cleveland in 1972 to become the first Black anchorman in New York City while working for WNBC.
Some NABJ members believe the anniversary should have been celebrated in a more prominent city, but Harris said Cleveland was the right choice since it is constantly developing, and hosting conventions support that work.
“Thats just showing why Cleveland deserves this opportunity because we have leaders that have forged paths in this industry,” she said.
When it comes to Bibb’s own legacy, Harris said the mayor hopes to continue growing Cleveland through new events while always remembering the groundwork Strokes laid all those years ago.
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