[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 177 (Thursday, November 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14499-S14500]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 383--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

  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:

                              S. Res. 383

       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

[[Page S14500]]

     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
       Resolved, 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.

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