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Rediscovered Recording Sheds Light On First Black Mayor Of Major U.S. City

NPR
Published November 7, 2017 at 12:26 PM EST
Carl B. Stokes makes a victory statement at his campaign headquarters in Cleveland, Oct. 3, 1967, after almost complete returns indicated he had won the Democratic nomination for mayor of Cleveland by a margin of more than 12,000 over the incumbent mayor, Ralph S. Locher. Stokes' wife, Shirley, is on the left. (AP Photo)
Carl B. Stokes makes a victory statement at his campaign headquarters in Cleveland, Oct. 3, 1967, after almost complete returns indicated he had won the Democratic nomination for mayor of Cleveland by a margin of more than 12,000 over the incumbent mayor, Ralph S. Locher. Stokes' wife, Shirley, is on the left. (AP Photo)

Clevelanders are choosing the next mayor of their city Tuesday. The fact that both candidates are African American isn’t surprising. But it was a different story 50 years ago, when Carl Stokes became the first black man to be elected mayor of a major American city.

That achievement was celebrated in a little-known musical album that was recently rediscovered. David C. Barnett (@DCBstream) from WCPN ideastream takes us back to the recording studio.

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