By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher

CLEVELAND, Ohio-The city of Cleveland officially recognized former mayor Carl B. Stokes on Mon., June 30, 2025 as the city's first Black mayor, naming it Carl B. Stokes Day, Stokes the first Black mayor of Cleveland and of a major American city.

June 30 is now Carl B. Stokes Day and his life and legacy will be celebrated annually in Cleveland.

Current mayor Justin Bibb, who led Monday's event, pointed to the portrait of Stokes during a ceremony held in the Rotunda at City Hall that included family members of Stokes, community affiliates, and elected officials.

Bibb is Cleveland' fourth Black mayor, behind Frank Jackson, his immediate predecessor, Michael R. White, and Stokes, the city's 51st mayor who won office in 1967 when Cleveland, a majority Black major American city, was largely White. All of Cleveland's Black mayors were Democrats when they won election, though the mayor's race is nonpartisan.

Elected for a first term in 2021 and running for re-election this year, Mayor Bibb is president of the National Democratic Mayor's Association. He called Stokes a legend and part of the city's history, adding that Cleveland has long been a stable of political power for Black leaders and the Civil Rights Movement.

"Cleveland is the birthplace of Black political power in this country,” Bibb said, after presenting the Stokes family with a proclamation.

Cordell Stokes, Carl's son, said the honor for his father is well deserved."I’m just so proud of him," the younger Stokes said.

Councilmember Richard Starr presented a council resolution that reflects that council has officially made June 30 Carl B. Stokes Day in Cleveland.

Carl B. Stokes was the younger brother of former congressman Louis Stokes, a Civil Rights attorney and the first Black congressperson from Ohio.