1938
Stokes family moves to Outhwaite Homes / Louis Attends Central High
School
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Streaming
video:
Louis Stokes interview
with Dee Perry- In this segment, Louis describes his mother's move to
Ohio, her
job and financial situation, as well as her advice to her sons concerning
education.Carl, Louis and their mother Louise lived in a dilapidated two-family home at 2234 East 69th Street. Carl characterized that home as a “poor excuse for a shelter.” As bad as the house may have been, it was located in a vibrant area of working-class families and small shops—a real neighborhood.
In 1938, the family’s fortunes changed when they moved into the Outhwaite Homes on East 55th Street. Unlike their old home on East 69th, their new apartment had hot and cold running water, a heating system that worked, and a refrigerator. More importantly for the young boys, there was a recreation center with a pool and gymnasium. The courtyard around the Stokes’s apartment became a community where people socialized and helped one another.
