CLEVELAND | Mourners say Ohio’s first black congressman left an enduring legacy of justice and fairness in a world that didn’t always treat him kindly.
U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes, a 15-term Democratic congressman, died at home of cancer last week at age 90.
On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden and numerous current and former members of Congress helped fill Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland to celebrate Stokes’ life and achievements.
Stokes was considered one of Ohio’s most respected and influential congressmen. He led a committee on assassinations, became the first black member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and brought help home to his Cleveland-area district.
Speakers on Tuesday marveled at how far Stokes had risen from his impoverished childhood in Cleveland.