The Election of Carl Stokes

The first document I read was titled "How to get Elected by White People" by Carl Stokes. Stokes was the first black mayor of a predominately white city, Cleveland. This just a year after huge racial riots in the city of Hough right before the 1966 municipal elections. The document's main focus is exactly what the title talks about, Stokes' strategy in getting elected by white people. Stokes started his political work long before the election. he knew he needed to get involved in the community first to get this name out there. So he helped out with the Boy Scouts, charity drives, the NAACP, the Urban League, and most importantly the churches. Stokes believed helping in the church was the best way to get the vote of people. H says, "having a hundred black preachers out there rallying them up for you is invaluable unbeatable...I did anything I was asked to do in the community." Stokes' election strategy was to talk to blacks about black pride, injustice, black culture, anything to get their loyalty. But, when talking to anyone else, he would talk about, "democracy, about how government is for all people, about the need for new coalitions for the common good." His speeches were different depending on who he talked to and that worked out well for him.


In what ways did Stokes' election represent a milestone for black power? What do you think his election meant for black citizens?


I think this was a huge step forward for black power. Never before had a black person been this high in the government. A black person was finally the mayor of a white majority city. I think for citizens it was a huge spark in the fight for civil rights. Black people finally had someone of their kind representing the black ideas and culture in a government of whites. It may have only been a mayoral election, but it was a big accomplishment in black politics.


The second document I read was titled, "A Government Balance", again written by Carl Stokes. Normally if you were black, Martin Luther King, Jr. coming to your town would be a good thing, but in 1967, that was not the case for Carl Stokes. His mayoral race was coming up and he knew he had the black vote, but he did not want to do anything to make the white people upset. Martin Luther King, Jr., might get the whites mad enough where Stokes would lose their vote. Stokes had tremendous respect for King so it was very hard to ask him to leave. Stokes thought King would create new problems that would lose the white vote. Dr. King decided to stay but promised, "there will be nothing inflammatory." Dr. King limited his visits and restrained himself. He did not create anymore problems and Stokes ended up winning the election.




What was Stokes' concern about King's presence in Cleveland? As a candidate? As a black person who cared aobut vil rights? As an American?


Answered in response.