By ideastream's Brian Bull
Mourners will have a chance to pay their respects to the late Congressman Louis Stokes today (8/24). There will be several special events to honor him.
Louis Stokes will lie in state starting early this morning beginning at 7am for a public viewing that’s being held in the Cleveland City Hall Rotunda, located at 601 Lakeside Avenue in the downtown area. People will have until 5pm to view the 15-term U.S. Representative, after which there will be an appreciation program in City Hall beginning shortly after at 5:45pm.
City organizers say people wanting to attend the public viewing should be in line no later than 4pm, as doors will close right at 5pm.
Among those paying tribute are the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, a largely African-American organization which Stokes belonged to. The fraternity says Stokes has joined the “Chapter Invisible” and asks brothers to drape their badges for 30 days in his honor.
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, business leaders, and Congressional colleagues are also expected at the event.
Finally, funeral services for Stokes will be held at the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church at 8712 Quincy Avenue in Cleveland on Tuesday morning. While a family hour and the funeral program are both public (starting at 10am and 11am, respectively), the burial service itself is private.
Louis Stokes died August 18 th at the age of 90. He’s remembered as Ohio’s first black congressman, and a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus.