In His Own Words | Civil Rights Pioneer and Congressman Louis Stokes
Through an Audio Dimensions initiative, was privileged to produce an audio documentary, Welcome to Fairfax, a partnership with the Bolton School and the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation that paired students of the Bolton School with long-time residents and ambassadors of Cleveland’s Fairfax Neighborhood.
Among the highlights of this two-day session was the interview conducted with Civil Right Pioneer and 15-term United States House Ohio Representative, Congressman Louis Stokes. Interviewed by then eighth-grade student, Paul Carpenter, the conversation provided an intimate and candid interview that connected across the table to bridge generations.
Louis Stokes was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Louise (née Stone) and Charles Stokes. He and his brother, politician Carl B. Stokes, lived in one of the first federally funded housing projects, the Outhwaite Homes. Stokes attended Central High School and later served in the U.S. Army from 1943-46. After attending Western Reserve University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law on the G.I. Bill, he began practicing law in Cleveland in 1953. He argued the “stop and frisk” case of Terry v. Ohio before the United States Supreme Court in 1968. Later in 1968, he was elected to the House, representing the 21st District of Ohio on Cleveland’s East Side. He shifted to the newly created 11th District, covering much of the same area following a 1992 redistricting. Stokes served 30 years in total, retiring in 1999.
