Stokes Brothers Exhibit at the Western Reserve Historical Society

Continuing at the Western Reserve Historical Society at University Circle is the interesting exhibit: "Carl and Louis Stokes - From the Projects to Politics." It chronicles the lives and contributions of brothers retired Congressman, Louis Stokes and his late brother, former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes (pictured at bottom right).

Today, many Clevelanders know the name Stokes as a street at University Circle or the name of the new government office building, but in the 1960s these two dynamic politicians paved the way for the multi-cultural environment we find today in Cleveland city government. In 1967, Carl Stokes was elected mayor of Cleveland, becoming the first African-American mayor of a major US city. His brother, Louis, was elected to Congress in 1968 and served 15 terms before retiring in 1999. He was the first black congressman from Ohio. The brothers were also immersed in the Civil Rights movement and were close to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other national leaders.

The Stokes Brothers exhibit tells the story of these two brothers, from their parents migration from Georgia in the early 1920s to their father's early death, to their childhood at the Outhwaite Homes, one of Cleveland's early urban housing projects. The exhibit includes dozens of newpaper articles, photographs, and other memorabilia, including campaign buttons and even Congressman Stokes congressional desk.

The collection is a fascinating look back at an important time in Cleveland's history and a reminder to a new generation of those who came before. There's an old Chinese blessing that wishes "may you live in interesting times." The Stokes Brothers most certainly did and they made the most of it.

The Stokes Brothers exhibit is on display through July of 2008. Admission to the exhibit and to the rest of the museum's exhibits is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors, and $5 for students. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sundays from Noon to 5pm.

^{(photo of the exhibit © 2006 S. Mitchell)
(Photo of Mayor Stokes is a goverment/public domain photo)}