South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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Bill 4936


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A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO HONOR THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF ABRAHAM BILL "ABE" JENKINS, JR., AND TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPON HIS PASSING TO HIS LARGE AND LOVING FAMILY AND HIS MANY FRIENDS.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives was saddened to learn of the death of Abraham Bill "Abe" Jenkins, Jr., at the age of sixty-six on January 17, 2022; and

Whereas, born November 1, 1955, in Cambridge, England, Abe was the son of Abraham Bill Jenkins, Sr., and the late Georgetta Johnson Jenkins, and he was reared in a loving family with three siblings: Kenneth Don Jenkins, Reverend DeMett E. Jenkins, and Lieutenant Colonel Brittiane V. Staton; and

Whereas, he attended Summerville High School, where he played football as a tight end for legendary Coach John McKissick; and

Whereas, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration at South Carolina State University and a master's degree in health administration from the University of Pennsylvania; and

Whereas, for thirty years, he served as a healthcare administrator, first at the Medical University of South Carolina, then in Philadelphia and Washington, D. C.; and

Whereas, a community activist with deep roots on Johns Island, Mr. Jenkins served as chairman of the Progressive Club, working to renovate the property on River Road that his grandfather Esau Jenkins had established in the late 1940s as a community center and citizenship school; and

Whereas, in Charleston, he was active politically on nearly every level as a community advocate concerned with fairness, justice, and equality; and

Whereas, Mr. Jenkins was a member of the Concerned Citizens of the Sea Islands, focusing on quality-of-life issues. He assisted individuals by organizing food and clothing drives, and he championed communities threatened by development and exploitation; and

Whereas, his long-standing connections to Johns Island nourished a quiet determination to defend the island's Black residents and their Gullah heritage; and

Whereas, Mr. Jenkins became active in the South Carolina Democratic Party in the Lowcountry, worked on behalf of Barack Obama during his campaigns for President, and served as state political director for the Pete Buttigieg campaign in 2020; and

Whereas, together with his beloved wife, Wanda Deas-Jenkins, he reared three fine children: Renee Jenkins, Jamaal Jenkins, and James Jenkins. He was blessed with the affection of three stepchildren: Hope Buncum, Crystal Hillyard, and Trell Deas; and

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is grateful for the life and legacy of Abe Jenkins and for the high standard of service he set for all who knew him. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, honor the life and achievements of Abraham Bill "Abe" Jenkins, Jr., and express their profound sorrow upon his passing to his large and loving family and his many friends.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Abraham Bill "Abe" Jenkins, Jr.

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