Voting Station

Esau Jenkins

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Advocate

The Resume

    (July 3, 1910-October 30, 1972)
    Born in Johns Island, South Carolina
    Charleston- based civil rights leader and humanitarian
    Established the Haut Gap High School on Johns Island (1951)
    Founded the Citizens Committee of Charleston (1959) and the Rural Mission Inc. (1970)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was arrested and charged with selling alcohol after-hours and without a permit on school grounds in 1962 (in all likelihood political subterfuge).
    Because his work was mainly based out of South Carolina and wasn’t national, he isn’t as well known as some of his contemporaries in the Civil Rights movement.
    His family estate butted heads with local government on numerous occasions, after his death.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a father of thirteen, but lost seven of his kids in infancy.
    He self-funded all of his community organizing with his farming.
    His work provided an impetus for the Civil Rights movement locally.
    He used his 1966 Volkswagen deluxe station wagon to bus Sea Island residents’ kids to school, as well as to bus them to work in Charleston and polling places.
    En route to polling places, he and his wife would prepare riders for the required literacy exam so that they would be able to become registered voters.
    His motto was: ‘Love is Progress, Hate is Expensive.’
    He held symposium with Martin Luther King about his approach to voting rights.
    He was instrumental in organizing the Progressive Club of Johns Island, which consisted of a community grocery store, gas station, and recreation/education center.
    His family donated the back panels of his iconic VW Bus to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture for a permanent exhibit.
    He has received many posthumous awards, including having a bridge, street, and health clinic named in his memory.

Credit: BoyWithTheGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 39 Votes: 23.08% Annoying