1967
Carl is elected mayor of Cleveland.
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Carl is elected mayor of Cleveland.
___________________________________________
Strong
leads by Seth Taft early in the evening narrowed through the later hours
as more and more of the returns from across the city came in. When the
east side wards finally reported their vote tallies, Carl Stokes defeated
Seth Taft by a total of about 2500 votes, less than 1% of the total. After
a recount was requested by the local Republican Party, the final count
remained unchanged. Stokes had won the election and became the first African-American
mayor of a major American city. Headlines across the globe heralded this
important change in American politics and social justice.
Cover
of Cleveland Plain Dealer November 8, 1967 Announcing Carl’s Historic
Victory, Carl Stokes Manuscript Collection WRHS (click on image
for larger pdf )
WRHS
Carl Stokes Collection, May 1991
Carl
with wife Shirley at Inagural Ball
Cover-
Carl Stokes 1967 Inaugural Ball
November 17, 1967
November 17, 1967
Additional Resources:
PBS's American Experience Eyes on the Prize- section about Carl’s 1967 election. Includes video, press and gallery images.
Carl Stokes Biography on Eyes on the Prize