Louis Stokes, Ohio’s first black U.S. rep, dies in Cleveland at 90

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Former U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes, a 15-term congressman from Ohio who took on tough assignments looking into assassinations and scandals, has died at the age of 90, his family said Wednesday.

He died peacefully at home Tuesday with his wife, Jay, at his side, a month after he announced he had brain and lung cancer. “During his illness, he confronted it as he did life — with bravery and strength,” his family said in a statement.

Stokes was elected to the House in 1968, becoming Ohio’s first black member of Congress and one of its most respected and influential. Just a year earlier, his brother, Carl, had been elected mayor of Cleveland — the first black elected mayor of a major U.S. city.

The White House issued a statement from President Barack Obama that noted how Stokes overcame hardships while growing up in Cleveland and praised him for his belief that everyone should have a chance to succeed.

“Lou leaves behind an indelible legacy, and he will be sorely missed,” Obama said.