Abstract
Carole F. Hoover is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hoover Milstein. She is the former CEO of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. Hoover was also on the executive leadership team of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This 2017 interview was collected as part of a yearlong, community-wide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Carl Stokes' election as mayor of Cleveland.
Interviewee
Hoover, Carole F. (interviewee)
Interviewer
Perry, Dee (interviewer)
Project
Stokes: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future
Date
10-24-2017
Document Type
Oral History
Duration
50 minutes
Recommended Citation
"Carole Hoover interview, 24 October 2017" (2017). Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Interview 501007.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/1216
Transcript
Dee Perry [00:00:04] This is Dee Perry on Tuesday Oct in the Tower City offices of Carol Hoover for a conversation about Carl and Louis Stokes. And the name is C,A,R,O,L,E last name H,O,O,V,E,R. Thank you very much for doing this conversation with us.
Carole F. Hoover [00:00:31] My pleasure.
Dee Perry [00:00:32] I want to start by talking about your father. First I'd like to have you say his name and then talk about your earliest recollection of seeing him in the role of an activist because he was well known for that activism around civil rights and social justice?
Carole F. Hoover [00:00:52] Well his name was Odie - O,D,I,E - M. Hoover Jr. That was his name And my earliest recollection is in the early s when he became a part of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and worked with very closely with Dr. King went on the board of SCLC. And then of course when Dr. King came to Cleveland Olivet was his headquarters And my father stepped out at a time when a number of ministers were a little apprehensive because although Dr. King was an ordained minister of national stature they were somewhat concerned about the fact that many people saw him as controversial. And so it took a little time for some of the clergy to come along but they came along. I would have to say rather rapidly in Cleveland. And that made it very well It was interdenominational. My father was always an advocate for interdenominational participation and had great relationships with Methodist, Presbyterians, and other clergy in the community. Broad interfaith interaction with the rabbis And it was just It was a great feeling and a great time. We have some wonderful photos of Dr. King in our church, and then in Dr. King came. There was a major fundraising event at what was then the Sheraton Hotel and my father chaired that. It was a financial success because I was interested in the money. That's always- I'm interested in the money.
Dee Perry [00:03:01] Do you want to hold one adjustment?
Jacob Taylor [00:03:03] You guys are doing great. Thank you.
Dee Perry [00:03:12] Still going. Yes thank you very much. I wanted to ask what you felt like your father's expectation was either by spoken word or by example about what kind of citizen what kind of human being he wanted his children to be?
Carole F. Hoover [00:03:33] He being a minister and very serious about ministry wanted us to respect everybody in spite of the fact that we might have different opinions. He certainly hoped that we would embrace the fight for social justice And we did that in our own way and help other people I think that was the main thing. And certainly through our church we connected with a number of our members. And when people had needs when whether it was just for someone to talk to or other kind of needs people felt very comfortable reaching out to us. So he never said I want you to be famous or I want you to be rich. He really talked about interacting with other people being there for other people and gave examples of how people had been there for us. And all of that also was tied again to his teachings as well as what he learned preparing for ministry and obviously Dr. King as one of the role models and how Dr. King had committed his life to making conditions better for everyone.
Christine Hickey [00:05:07] Hold on a second. [crosstalk] Yeah, construction. But it's pretty level.
Dee Perry [00:05:17] So did you want to repeat that last question?
Christine Hickey [00:05:21] Oh yeah we're okay.
Jacob Taylor [00:05:22] All right. We're good. Thank you.
Dee Perry [00:05:26] I was curious what your first memory of meeting Dr. King was? Was it here in Cleveland or elsewhere?
Carole F. Hoover [00:05:33] It was in Nashville with the student movement. And I met him then through Dr. Kelly Miller Smith who was a very influential pastor and leader in that community.
Dee Perry [00:05:52] And in Nashville was that where you were going to school?
Carole F. Hoover [00:05:57] And Dr. Smith had organized and supported a number of us in the student movement. And I had somehow gotten involved in raising money because people some people knew the Hoover name because of my father having been in school in Nashville and in seminary. So somehow I impressed Dr. King with the fact that I could raise money I don't even remember how but I've always been a very determined person and I think he saw that and we connected and it was a good journey.
Dee Perry [00:06:39] And speaking of being determined by you were working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. What kind of work were you doing for the SCLC?
Carole F. Hoover [00:06:53] I was part of the executive leadership team and my primary focus was on raising money and both through our churches nationally. Many times when Dr. King would go into a community to speak the ministers would organize what they called a freedom rally And I would usually in consultation with Dr. Wyatt T. Walker set a financial goal and then go into that community ahead of time and work with the local clergy on.On making certain that we raised that amount of money. And eventually as Dr. King became I would have to say less controversial we were able to get certain elected officials and some business people to participate But the foundation of the fundraising had been really the Black church.
Dee Perry [00:08:01] You and your father were part of the delegation that traveled with Dr. King to Norway when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in. What did you think about that experience in general and Dr. King's acceptance speech in particular?
Carole F. Hoover [00:08:19] Well you know the experience was something that I never thought I would witness so it was a tremendous experience. My role was in part to work and make certain that everything went smoothly I connected with the people staffing King Olav of Norway and the Nobel Committee and worked out some of the details.It was a I guess it was an experience that was most unique.I had heard of the Nobel Peace Prize.I knew that it was one of the most prestigious awards in the world, but like Dr. King who did not believe when a local television station called to ask how. They asked him what was your reaction to receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.He really thought it was someone just being disingenuous.It took some time for him to understand that this was real. And I can't remember who on the staff finally put together the information that he needed to be comfortable that he was a recipient. So I think those of us around him it took time to really understand that this was happening. The great thing about the Nobel Peace Prize being given at that time we had done Birmingham and Selma and it really said to the nation that we honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King. And he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in the names of all of the individuals who made the sacrifice in Albany, Birmingham, Selma. And at that time the Nobel Peace Prize carried with it. That was the cash. And then they gave you a Rolex watch. So we told him we knew he would give the money away but we told him he couldn't get a Rolex away. And he did give the money to Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Morehouse College, and Ebenezer Baptist Church. He did not keep one penny but that's who he was. And in terms of his acceptance speech as I said he didn't put himself into it. It was really about the people who made the sacrifice. And it was in the name of those people that he accept. Accepted it very much. Great humility shown.
Dee Perry [00:11:16] Back in Ohio in the mid 1960s, the Stokes brothers were starting to make their mark. When did you first become aware of Carl and Louis Stokes?
Carole F. Hoover [00:11:28] Probably- Probably 1967, 8, somewhere along that period.
Dee Perry [00:11:40] So during the first time that Carl ran for mayor, you-
Carole F. Hoover [00:11:50] I was not involved. [crosstalk] I was not involved, yeah.
Dee Perry [00:11:54] I want to step back actually to voting at that time too because that's something that you had been or at least increasing Black voter registration in the Civil Rights Movement in the South was something you were aware of. How challenging was it to convince and prepare southern Black populations to step up and be part of the political process again?
Carole F. Hoover [00:12:22] I think Dr. King's work motivated people in that area And as you know there was a Voting Rights Bill passed under the leadership of President Johnson as a result of the work in Selma because the Selma, Alabama movement was really geared to get a Voting Rights Bill to take away all of the obstacles that many people in the south faced. Because there was a time when let's just say in the state of Mississippi people had to pass a test in order to qualify to vote. And the test would have such questions as how many seeds in a watermelon. How high is high. It was very demeaning, very degrading, and people knew that the objective was not to determine if they were intellectually qualified to vote. So all of that was removed with the Voting Rights Bill.
Dee Perry [00:13:24] So then in Cleveland was the degree of difficulty different when it came to registering more Black voters?
Carole F. Hoover [00:13:36] No, I don't recall a degree of difficulty. The issue then and now is motivation and people feeling that the vote will impact change in a very positive way. So we face that today. I've been just here in Cleveland in this mayoral primary. We had a turnout but so did they have a turnout in New York and Houston, Texas, and some other cities. So motivating people to really participate in the system remains a major problem. I don't know all of the reasons why but there is a lack of confidence I think in local, state, and federal government because of the population that's a mere fraction.
Dee Perry [00:14:37] I'm thinking there was a bigger fraction that turned out in the mid to late '60s when Carl- In 1967 in particular when Carl Stokes was running for mayor was- Did you see and hear people talking about wanting to be part of the process at that point?
Carole F. Hoover [00:15:03] Well I wasn't here. Yeah, I wasn't here.
Dee Perry [00:15:07] And so in 1967 you were-
Carole F. Hoover [00:15:10] I was still in Atlanta, yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Dee Perry [00:15:15] The year 1968 when Carl Stokes took office was a tumultuous time in U.S. history. And one of the most wrenching events that year was the assassination of Dr. King. Were you in Atlanta at that point?
Carole F. Hoover [00:15:33] I was in Atlanta. Mm-hmm. I was in Atlanta when he was assassinated in Memphis. And I'm very glad I was in Atlanta and not in Memphis. Yeah, I don't- You know, I've heard some people say, you know, that they were there and I'm glad I wasn't there. Yeah. So once I got the call then I did what I felt I should do and went to Mrs. King's house and started working with a group of people to do all the things we had to do to make preparation for Dr. King's funeral and Mrs. King determined the day after that she was going back to Memphis and lead this march that he was scheduled to lead in connection with trying to get rights for sanitation workers in Memphis. That was why he was there.
Dee Perry [00:16:37] Did you continue to work with the King family over the course of years?
Carole F. Hoover [00:16:44] Oh I am still in touch and supporting Reverend Bernice King, who is now the president of the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. And I supported Mrs. King throughout her lifetime. And we talked on the phone about five nights out of seven and she did great work. We built the Martin Luther King Center. I was vice-chair of our campaign to build the center. Henry Ford was the chair. And that worked out very very well. She was very committed. And as you know the King Center houses Dr. King's papers, and it has been a place where people have come from around the world to study Dr. King's work, to study nonviolence. Quite a few people came from South Africa because they wanted to see how nonviolence would work there as a means of social change. And so supporting her. She's a person who almost worked around the clock. I remember once she went to the Philippines for the inauguration of the president there. I think her name was Aquino. And then she came back and we left the next day and went to South Africa. And I just said you know how do you make a trip from the Philippines. Come to Atlanta for one day and go to South Africa. But she had that kind of determination and she worked and worked and worked until she was stricken with cancer and went through a period of decline and then passed away.
Dee Perry [00:18:40] When you did come back to Cleveland do you recall what year it was and what brought you back?
Carole F. Hoover [00:18:50] Well, the thing that brought me back, my father was ill and I came back because of that. And once I got here I really didn't intend to stay. And then people sort of started giving me assignments and I got involved, you know, helping the Stokes people and eventually decided that I would not return to Atlanta. Because I was really working on a business concept there. And I just took my time and did some thinking and I chose to go to the Growth Association. I was a little fascinated with the offer and I said well I'm an interesting person for a chamber of commerce but it really worked out well because I was able to engage in economic development and try to reshape economic development in a manner where all people could participate. And it s a delicate line to walk but I think I basically walked it successfully.
Dee Perry [00:20:06] And when you say you work with the Stokes people, is that Louis Stokes?
Carole F. Hoover [00:20:11] Well, I raised money for Carl Stokes. Arnold Pinckney talked with me and asked me if I would do some national fundraising. And so I arranged for a fundraiser in Chicago. And that fundraiser was chaired by John H. Johnson, who was the publisher and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company. And we had a great fundraiser in Chicago. We went to Philadelphia and C. Delores Tucker, who later became Secretary of State of Pennsylvania under Governor Shapp, chaired that fundraiser. And it was very successful. And we went to- Oh we went to New York, yeah we went to New York. Marion Logan who was a member of the board of SCLC. Marion Logan did a fundraiser at her home. And it attracted in fact I still have some of those pictures. It attracted Sidney Poitier and Chauncey Waddell of Waddell and Reed Eleanor Gimbel of the Gimbel Family. And it was successful both from a monetary standpoint but also from an image standpoint just in terms of Carl Stokes and those connections and pictures and memories. So all of that was good.
Dee Perry [00:21:46] When you decided to go with the Growth Association, why was that an important connection for you?
Carole F. Hoover [00:21:59] It was important because one of the things I learned throughout the Civil Rights Movement was you could have certain laws passed and that was good. It opened some doors, But if you didn't have economic empowerment and a level playing field for all people, then the value of the things that had taken place through the Civil Rights Movement would not have really come to fruition, so- And if you might recall in thinking about Dr. King, the last year of his life he was working on a Poor People's Campaign and he had reached out to Appalachian whites and people in the Indian community and really wanted to make certain that his advocacy was for all people in need regardless of race, national origin. And so I know somewhere inside of me I felt that, you know, this was an opportunity to try to move some of that forward. And as I said earlier it's a fine line that you walk, but I think I understood sort of how to walk it and keep some balance. And I'm not saying that I didn't ever run into a problem but I would say the problems were minimal. Yeah.
Dee Perry [00:23:35] During the time that Carl Stokes ran won and was mayor, Louis Stokes was also building his new career going from law to public life. What was your first set of interactions with Louis Stokes?
Carole F. Hoover [00:23:59] I think the first time I met Louis Stokes I think we were at John Bustamante's house and he was talking about. He had Louis Stokes there and really talked about Louis Stokes background his value Louis Stokes talked and I mean you could just tell that he was a very intelligent person a very committed person and that if he went to Congress he would go to Congress as a change agent. But again and listening to him it was clear that he also knew balance and really had an approach to how to engage government to try to move an agenda forward. And as you know he served with great distinction. And going back to speaking of Dr. King, he chaired the House Committee dealing with the assassination of both Dr. King and Senator Kennedy, and he did a phenomenal job.
Dee Perry [00:25:10] As you were growing in the Growth Association did you have other interactions with Congressman Stokes? Was he part of the landscape for growth?
Carole F. Hoover [00:25:24] Oh, I had interactions throughout. First of all, he brought an enormous amount of federal funds into Cleveland for some of our healthcare institutions for our educational institutions and all of them were part of the economic fabric of Cleveland. But NASA Lewis Research Center, he brought tremendous amounts of money to NASA, but he also withheld funds at a time when NASA was challenged with racism. And he did it in a very very dignified way as he does things. He came in and he met and a number of us were in that meeting and he just- He didn't make charges. He just said in order to move forward and in order to qualify for federal funds, these are the kinds of things that we expect. And the success of NASA today has a lot to do with actions that he took. And as I saw him deal with the issue not only of NASA but of health care disparities he did it in a very dignified way without beating people over the head with the word racism, but identifying the problem and then people could reach their own conclusion.
Dee Perry [00:26:59] In 1994, you became the first African American woman to lead a chamber of commerce organization for a major American city as President and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. What did that achievement mean to you?
Carole F. Hoover [00:27:20] It meant hopefully that it would open the door for other African Americans to be welcomed as candidates to run major business organizations major economic development organizations. And I tried through my work to show that I could think broadly embrace the big agenda. And I think it opened the door for some other people. It was challenging, not because I was a person of color, but it was just challenging because of the economy some of the needs of Cleveland. I had been working on air service for a long time and hoping to get air service from Cleveland to London. And these things, you know, they take years and years of work and laying the foundation and proving that you have the market but it was good work. I hired McKinsey Co. to come in and do a study so that we could set up a strategy for economic growth in Cleveland and the region. And they did a phenomenon phenomenal job and pointed us in several directions. One to build the healthcare systems that we had because we were so fortunate having Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and Healthcare Systems, and Metro Health. And then we looked at the whole area of air service and the kind of air service you have to have in order to service not only the general population but the businesses. And out of that you know we put together a plan and really built enough of a demand for air service to get our hub back You might remember that we lost our United Airlines hub under the former Mayor Dennis Kucinich. And so we were able after many meetings involving then-Mayor Voinovich and business leaders to attract Continental Airlines. And I and others worked very hard to make this hub a success, and that was a major need in the business community. The other thing that we learned in looking at what Cleveland needed was looking at our infrastructure our roads and bridges and water system. And out of that we formed a group called Build Up Greater Cleveland and went aggressively after federal funds to bring in to deal with roads and bridges and water and sewer and all of those sexy kind of things. So you know but it takes that. It takes that for a community to be attractive to other people. I don't think the public understands even now the whole need for air and rail and water transportation in order for companies to grow in this region.
Dee Perry [00:31:06] And can you think of ways that Congressman Stokes was involved in that planning or in coming to fruition of some of those?
Carole F. Hoover [00:31:17] Oh yeah, because again the plan as a result of the buildup created Cleveland Committee required significant federal funding And so he took the lead in helping secure those dollars and was very focused on making certain that the federal dollars that we qualified for that we received. And he was well respected by the business leaders and elected officials and he was appreciate. And we tried to show that when he retired I mean all along the way we thanked him for what he was doing for his leadership in the Northeast Ohio Congressional delegation. But when he retired we had a number of events that were events of appreciation. And I remember one that I was intimately involved in where he really didn't know what it was going to be or who was going to be there. And he had done so much for Howard University I was able to get the president of Howard to come for that luncheon. And the smile on his face was enough for the work that was done. So I maintained a relationship with him until the time he passed away. We talked about many things and strategized on things after he retired. And I ended up at his request working on his celebration of life service. And I was a bit taken aback when he asked me And he was so clear on where he thought he was in life and the fact that life was coming to an end And he had very bravely prepared his family. And I think over a course of weeks we talked on the phone and I would visit with him and his wife Jay and his children almost every Sunday. And we just continued to talk and do what he wanted done. So I was pleased honored saddened all of those things. But at the end of the day I was pleased that I was able to do what he wanted done.
Dee Perry [00:34:07] I've heard people talk about what it was like to be in a place with Louis Stokes and have other people recognize him and react to him. And I wondered if you'd had the experience of seeing how others reacted to him?
Carole F. Hoover [00:34:25] Oh well others reacted to him with great deference and respect. And I think that's because throughout his life he showed respect to people I used to tease him sometimes because he could be going to very small event something that maybe where there would be or people and he never shortchanged anybody relative to preparation. You would think he was getting ready to do the Gettysburg Address or something like that but it was because he respected people. And I think people felt that they appreciated it and they acknowledged it in how he was received. You know periodically would have lunch with him or something and everybody would come over to say hello. And you could just see the respect and I think the way he carried himself And throughout his career as you know there was no scandal while you know some of the public officials unfortunately were faced with scandals. But I think the thing that I think about him most is how he respected all people two or three times over the years. We'd be in the airport at the same time and he gave the same respect to ticket agents and people shining shoes and CEO's that you would run into.So that was just a great quality and it's one that we should all learn from because everybody has value. And if we show that through our actions I think we'd be in a better place.
Dee Perry [00:36:21] On that note I'm wondering what you can point to and say that is a legacy of the Stokes brothers? Whether it is something physical that they did that is lasting or something personally?
Carole F. Hoover [00:36:36] Oh I think the legacy is when you look at from that period of the is when we had Carl Stokes as mayor and Louis Stokes going to Congress the legacy is looking across the country at the number of people of color African Americans in local state and national government. You look at the Congress and the Senate when they started and you look at it now. So that is the legacy. They showed the nation what could be done and that is the greatest legacy that they could leave.
Dee Perry [00:37:26] They. And you made it a mission to help encourage and support younger generations. What do you feel like young people need to be doing these days to lift themselves and their communities?
Carole F. Hoover [00:37:41] I think in lifting yourself and lifting the community you have to look at the needs and determine where you can be most effective. You can't be effective all over the place. And I ve tried very hard in spite of some people saying oh you know you can do this and that to be focused on where I think I can make change. And I think that's the I think that's the challenge. People need to look at their skills. They need to look at their willingness to share their financial resources to bring about change. And in order to bring about change you have to acknowledge the need for change and stay focused on that. So I think this generation can do more of that. And people who have been successful in terms of their careers and financially successful should be willing to share that knowledge and share the financial resources because some of those financial resources came as a result of the sacrifice of many people some of whom gave their life.
Dee Perry [00:39:03] Is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't touched on story you remember about Lou Stokes or the feeling in the country when Carl Stokes became mayor?
Carole F. Hoover [00:39:20] The feeling in the country when Carl Stokes became mayor. There was a bit of jubilation and you started hearing a national conversation about other African Americans running for office And as you know over the several years after that you saw people announcing and running and going. I know Carl Stokes went to a couple of cities to help people running for office, and Congressman Stokes. I know he went into a number of communities where an African American was running for office and he would speak on behalf of that person and raise money. So it s just a great trail that was raised.
Dee Perry [00:40:15] How about you Christine?
Christine Hickey [00:40:16] Yeah I wanted to go back a little bit and just clarify. So I'm listening for the exhibit. We wanted to gather your oral history in general, but I'm also listening for sound bites I can use in the exhibit And I wanted to go back and touch on. Sorry question number When you're talking about Louis Stokes and encouraging growth and development in the city of Cleveland but also while you were in the Chamber of Commerce, and I wanted to get a feel for what. If you could give me an example of something you guys worked on together? You gave me one but I just need it in a whole story. So like the essence When she asks the question in the exhibit we won't hear the question. So if you can give me the essence of the question and answer the question Was the question is if you could tell me a situation where you at working in the Chamber of Commerce in the Growth Association? I'm sorry.
Carole F. Hoover [00:41:23] Yeah it was a Growth Association.
Christine Hickey [00:41:26] It was Growth Association? Okay. Working in the Growth Association, and then having assistance with Louis Stokes Louis Stokes being able to assist you in what you were working on and you guys worked together.
Carole F. Hoover [00:41:37] Well I would say two things. One, going back to the infrastructure needs, I'm sorry the infrastructure needs of Greater Cleveland in order to address the issue of bridges, sewers, water, air, all of those are infrastructure needs and they required a tremendous amount of federal funds So we were able to go to Congressman Stokes and he worked with the Northeast Ohio Congressional Delegation and the two senators to get the funds identified and get them into our community. So that was one. And then obviously with the importance of NASA Louis Research Center the funds that he brought into NASA and the funds that he withheld while NASA got his house in order has caused and created a greater NASA Louis Research Center today. So those are two prime examples of what. What he was able to do to help move Cleveland forward on some very big issues.
Christine Hickey [00:42:57] I like the NASA story I was wondering if we could condense it a little bit there. It was a little too condensed. I didn't get the essence of what happened. So you were mentioning that originally- Let me go back to my notes. Originally he was able to bring money into Cleveland and into NASA but he wasn't. He didn't hesitate to also hold it back when he thought there was a racial issue going on. If you could just reiterate that story to Dee in a more condensed way but with enough detail so that I guess they get what the story is?
Carole F. Hoover [00:43:35] Well, there were two African American executives there who were very-
Christine Hickey [00:43:45] Let's start with you know start with how Congressman Stokes was Was able to bring money into Cleveland but he was also I don't need the details necessarily of what happened but I need the essence of what, what happened?
Dee Perry [00:44:02] What Congressman-
Christine Hickey [00:44:03] Yeah so Congressman Stokes was able to bring money into Cleveland and in particular NASA but he also wasn't necessarily afraid to hold back that funding if he thought something was amiss. And then he could go into talking about you know the racial issue that may have been going on. And he. He didn't necessarily slap them in the face with it but he was you know they were able to come to their own conclusion with what they were possibly doing wrong. That's how you mentioned it before.
Carole F. Hoover [00:44:37] Okay, so where do you want me to start?
Christine Hickey [00:44:39] Start-
Dee Perry [00:44:40] Oh sorry. Start with how Congressman Stokes was able to bring money into the city and specifically NASA.
Carole F. Hoover [00:44:55] NASA. To advance, he brought funds into NASA to advance its work And at a certain point it was very clear that there were some people of color at NASA who were highly qualified and very viable candidates for promotion. They were overlooked And that was brought to the congressman's attention. And he came in and met with the leadership of NASA and just asked again in a very honorable and dignified way he said I would like for you to come up with a plan on how you re going to deal with your human resource issues. Once I understand that we will probably be able to release the next round of funds. Everything that he did was always in a very dignified manner. You didn't ever feel threatened but you knew that he meant business And NASA is a great place today because of him. And you have Dr. Julian Earls, who at one point became the head of NASA. And Dr. Earls was one of the people who had been held back at NASA. So the change was felt not only at NASA but in the entire community.
Christine Hickey [00:46:40] Now you were not in Cleveland at the time of Carl's, when they announced Carl became mayor. But do you have any? Do you have any memories from that evening? I know Martin Luther King was in town, so I didn't know if you were watching that evening, if you had stayed up into the evening to watch that election. And what the atmosphere was. Is. Was in Atlanta where you were I know there was. You could talk to Dee about you know just that experience if you have any recollections?
Carole F. Hoover [00:47:14] Well, my recollection was one of excitement. That was you know it was a great victory. And over several days in Atlanta obviously it was a point of discussion and a great sense of pride. A great sense of pride. So as I said earlier both with Carl Stokes and Lou Stokes it opened up a whole world for people of color to be able to run for office and to be elected. So no there was great excitement in Atlanta and particularly because Dr. King had been here not involved in the campaign for Carl Stokes for mayor but he had been here in voter education and voter registration. In fact I think somewhere I have a picture of him and my father on a flatbed truck over in Hough talking to people about getting out to vote. Yeah.
Christine Hickey [00:48:15] And how large of a role do you think that campaign with Dr. King and your father played in getting the Stokes brother, Carl elected?
Carole F. Hoover [00:48:28] Oh I think Dr. King's presence here and getting not only voter registration but voter education played a huge role. Without Dr. King having been here and done the work that he did that probably wouldn't have happened because part of what he said to people is you can make change. He demonstrated that and he preached that you know have confidence in yourself to make change. So it really motivated people to get out to vote in significant numbers.
Christine Hickey [00:49:11] I think that is all I have. Is there anything else you know that you wanted to talk about that we kind of missed on or any more? Any personal stories or anything like that that you would want to share to give them an insight of who Louis or Carl Stokes were?
Carole F. Hoover [00:49:30] No, I think I've covered the waterfront. I've taken Lou Stokes all the way to his celebration of life service, so I think I've covered the waterfront. But this was good.
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