Advocacy Alerts
The Progressive Club Added to the Charleston Justice Journey
preservation-admin , February 9, 2022
Left: The Progressive Club’s late chairman Abraham “Abe” Jenkins Jr., courtesy of the Post & Courier; Right: Progressive Club State Historical Marker on Johns Island.
In January, the Charleston community mourned the loss of community organizer and public servant, Mr. Abraham “Abe” Jenkins, Jr. Among many areas of activism, Mr. Jenkins was a champion of the Progressive Club, a renowned community center and citizenship school founded in 1948 by his late grandfather and prominent civil rights leader, Esau Jenkins. For several years, Abe Jenkins had been leading efforts to rebuild the Progressive Club and reestablish the organization’s presence as a center for community uplift on Johns Island.
As these efforts continue, the Preservation Society is honored to celebrate the legacy of the Progressive Club and Mr. Abe Jenkins Jr. by launching a new site on the Charleston Justice Journey, an online mapping initiative dedicated to elevating the story of the journey toward racial equality in the Lowcountry. We encourage you to explore the newest addition to Charleston Justice Journey today to learn more about the Progressive Club and its far-reaching impacts on local and national civil rights history.