III 110th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 383 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 15, 2007 Mr. Reid (for Mr. Obama (for himself, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Voinovich)) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Honoring and recognizing the achievements of Carl Stokes, the first African-American mayor of a major American city, in the 40th year since his election as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio.

Whereas Carl Stokes was a pioneer in cultivating a positive climate for African-Americans to seek election to public office and made great strides toward improving race relations in a tumultuous period of United States history; Whereas Carl Stokes was born on June 27, 1927, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Charles and Louise Stokes; Whereas Carl Stokes rose from poverty in Outhwaite Homes, Cleveland's first federally funded housing project for the poor, to be elected to the highest political office in Cleveland; Whereas Carl Stokes earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954 and graduated from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1956, and was admitted to the Ohio State Bar in 1957; Whereas, in 1962, Carl Stokes was elected to the Ohio General Assembly and served 3 terms as the first African-American Democrat to serve from Cuyahoga County; Whereas, in 1967, relying on his ability to mobilize support that transcended racial divides, Carl Stokes was elected Mayor of Cleveland and became the first African-American mayor of a major American city; Whereas, after declining to run for a 3rd term as Mayor of Cleveland, Carl Stokes became the first African-American to appear daily as an anchorman on a New York City television outlet, WNBC–TV; Whereas Carl Stokes served as a municipal judge in Cleveland from 1983 to 1994, completing a political career encompassing each branch of government; and Whereas Carl Stokes maintained his dedication to public service throughout his life, serving as Ambassador to the Seychelles and representing the White House on numerous goodwill trips abroad until his death in 1996: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)recognizes the pioneering career of Carl Stokes, who helped expand political opportunity for minorities by becoming the first African-American mayor of a major American city; and (2)commemorates the 40th anniversary of the election of Carl Stokes as the Mayor of Cleveland and the first African-American mayor of a major American city, one of the most significant events in the American Civil Rights movement.