In 1967 Carl Stokes defeated Seth Taft to become the first black mayor of a major U.S. city, this one
Able to mobilize both black and white voters, 
Stokes defeated Seth Taft, the... [DOC] [TLE] Carl Stokes, 68, Dies; Precedent-Setting Mayor - The New York Times [PAR] Apr 4, 1996 ... Carl B. Stokes, whose election as the first black mayor of a major city ...