Cleveland native Isabella Stokes ’26 is passionate about uncovering and amplifying histories of Black life in the U.S., particularly at the intersections of law, public policy, and community resilience.
“Working alongside editors and journalists at The Ohio Newsroom, I connected directly with the community members, historians, and volunteers who preserve Cleveland’s abolitionist legacy,” said Stokes, a politics and public affairs major with a minor in Black studies. “I pursued on-the-ground research, toured historic sites, gathered archival material, and interviewed the people who safeguard this history. It was the perfect way for me to contextualize what I have learned in my courses at Denison.”
Stokes’ recent article on an Underground Railroad waystation was featured in The Ohio Newsroom. The history of the Cozad-Bates House, the last pre-Civil War structure in Cleveland’s University Circle, is deeply personal to Stokes. Stokes grew up in Cleveland, surrounded by reminders of the city’s central role in Black resistance and freedom struggles.
“Sharing this history felt like honoring my own community,” Stokes said.
Visiting Assistant Professor Sierra Austin-King helped Stokes sharpen the project’s focus, encouraging her to choose a topic that blended her academic interests with her experience.
Stokes plans to pursue law school and build a career in public interest law and advocacy, with the long-term goal of community organizing and nonprofit work. Her work centers on justice, equity, and storytelling, so that the legacies of resilience, like those found in the Cozad-Bates House, remain alive and instructive for future generations.
