Which Way USA? - Carl Stokes

[Music] [Music] carl stokes was the first black american to become the mayor of a major american city in cleveland in 1967 he won 95 of the black vote and 14 of the white vote enough to ensure his victory you know reverend i figured out a way what to do when i go to one of those occasional hotels when they tell me they say that we don't have any room for you and i said do you mean that you're all filled up and then he thinks he's got me he says yes we're all filled up and i say that's the reason you won't let me have a room he said that's right i said well if the president of the united states came here tonight would you have a room for him and every time they say why of course we would i said well let me have his room because he's not coming [Applause] we're going to have a town that is going to stand as a beacon and as a symbol of equality of opportunity for everybody i don't care what your color is i don't care whether you're a puerto rican whether you're one of those indians whether you're a negro or whether you're one of those appalachian white people if you've got something that the city of cleveland needs we need you i can tell you this for all of you who are negroes though when you see me stand up next to another man who's running for the same office and when he and i argue these issues and then in fact it is apparent to everybody that carl stokes is the better qualified does have the better experience does understand what has to be done better then you feel proud that i'm a negro yeah because that's where it comes in don't vote for me because i'm a negro all right but god knows don't vote against me because i'm a negro we ain't what we want to be and lord we ain't what we're gonna be but great god we showing what we was lord many times in his campaign carl stokes told a favorite story of thaddeus casiosco a polish hero of the revolutionary war who called for the freedom of slaves historically a guy by the name of thaddeus kosciuszko left in his will a provision to provide for education of the slaves and you know who he left that will to thomas jefferson and it's been interesting to me that i think that the impression that a polish immigrant had on a slave-holding former president of the united states it has never been said more meaningful than by thomas jefferson when he said any nation or people that want to be both ignorant and free want something that never was and never will be [Music] [Music] you