About us
Our Mission
To achieve our organizational purpose the AASC Historic Commission, Inc. efforts will include the following:
· Protect and preserve the existing characteristics of African American Settlement Communities and enhance the quality of life for current and future generations of residents of the African American Settlement Communities.
· Nurture and support a strong sense of community, identity, history, and economic development both within the African American Settlement Communities and the larger region, including the Gullah Geechee Corridor.
· Support the traditions of land ownership, which have connected families with their land for many generations, and provide the various resources that will allow harmonious growth, including land use regulations that are consistent and compatible with the existing characteristics of the individual African American Settlement Communities.
Our Board
Officers
President – Freddie Jenkins
Vice President – Ed Lee
Treasurer – Larry Holmes
Secretary – Christian LeBlanc
Biographies/Committees
Cheryl German - Community Outreach
Cheryl was born and raised in the Old Village of Mt. Pleasant, SC. The second oldest of seven. Attended Moultrie High and the College of Charleston with studies in business admin. A self-taught jewelry designer and currently operates a home-base business. She currently works part-time with the International African American Museum as a financial assistant, the acting Executive Director for the Old Village Community Association, Inc. Serves on the board of the African American Historic Settlement Commission. She is single, has two adult children and three grandkids. She has experiences as an Imports Customer Service, Assembly Operator, Bookkeeping, Cashier, Payroll, Softball & Basketball Recreational Coach, Statistician & Scorekeeper for community and college sports. She co-established and operated the Old Village Roundball Classic League & Association in 1996. A member of the Charleston Metropolitan Church of Christ and serves on the congregation’s ministries: People Serving People, Hospitality, Praise Team Acapella Choral Group, the National Urban Ministry and Racial Unity Leadership Summit Committees. Co-organizer of the 1st Afro American Society at the College of Charleston, Lay Person of the Year 2001 at the SC Recreation and Parks Association-Ethnic Minority Branch. She has received several sports awards during high school and college. Participated and ranked in Miss Black Charleston and Miss Afro American Society Pageants in 1975. In her spare time, she enjoys sports, music, jewelry and crafting, teaching youth jewelry making, crafting skills and sports training. She loves gardening, writing, Black history researching and family. She believes if one wants to see a change, one must be willing to help make a change.
Larry Holmes – Treasurer
Though Larry’s family has roots in Snowden, he was born in Harlem, NY where his grandfather took his family after the Great Depression. Larry can trace his lineage back to his father’s great, great grandfather. After receiving a BA from the City College of New York, Larry was offered a position teaching math at Burke Highschool in downtown Charleston in 1975. At the encouragement of some NYC friends who already lived in the Charleston area and knew about Burke, Larry applied and was accepted there to teach math. He furthered his education with a Masters in Math at the Citadel. He loved his job and after 35 years decided to retire in 2010. Larry purchased part of the 20 acres of his Father’s Snowden property where he built his own home and now lives. When he’s not volunteering to teach math with a Community enrichment program, you can find Larry playing tennis, at the gun range and anywhere there’s water. He loves to fish, especially at Breach Inlet.
Freddie Jenkins - President
Freddie Jenkins’ family was from Cainhoy, where he was born, but after his family’s house burned down, moved to Snowden. He attended Jenny Moore Elementary and Laing Highschool, spent 3 years in Germany with the Army, and 23 years with the Army Reserve in Charleston. Then he worked at the Naval Shipyard as a production shop planner in the nuclear tool rooms. Freddie is now an independent contractor in the construction industry. When he is off work duty, he enjoys going to gym, karate, shopping and volunteering with the Masonic Lodge. He has been a member of the Snowden Civic Association since the early ‘80’s, and is currently the President. He is very active with the Long Point Baptist Church where he sits on the Board of Deacons, runs the Christian education department., and is the Treasurer on Board of Finance. He is the AASC liaison with Mount Pleasant Waterworks and is working very hard to get more sewer service to the Snowden Mt. Pleasant residents.
Christian LeBlanc - Secretary/Public Relations
Christian is a native of Greenville, South Carolina. He came to College of Charleston in 2008 and graduated in 2012 with a Communications Degree. He currently runs his own digital marketing company, Christian LeBlanc Media, in Charleston.
Ed Lee – Vice President/Economic Development
Ed is a native of the Scanlonville Community in Mt. Pleasant. He can still remember the days when Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ivory Joe Hunter, and B.B. King performed at their Riverside Beach Pavillion. He graduated from Bishop England High School and North Carolina A&T State University with a BS in Architectural Engineering. He has held management positions with the Charleston Naval Shipyard, Marine Corps Construction and is currently a Construction Project Manager in the Facilities Department of Charleston County. He has been an adjunct Professor at Trident Technical College as well as been an active member of his Community with previous appointments such as being a member of the Mt. Pleasant Planning Commission, Historical Commission, a member of Tri-County Economic Development Committee, development of the Ten Mile to Awendaw Plan, and has been President of the East Cooper Civic Club for 10 years. He was awarded “Who’s Who of Young Americans” in 1993,1997 and 1998. When he’s not working or volunteering, he enjoys running, riding his bike, building and tuning race engines and reading – particularly history, scientific and technical writings.
Fred Lincoln – Economic Development
Fred was born in the Jack Primus community of Wando in Berkeley County. He can trace his Father’s lineage four generations back to the Civil War era. He attended the Keith School, which his father helped build in the mid 1920’s, and graduated from Cainhoy Highschool in the 1960’s. He moved to New York, where he had many relatives, to work and study at the City College of New York and the RCA Institute, served two years as a military policeman in Seoul, Korea and returned home in the 1980’s. He then joined the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department and helped organize the Cainhoy Volunteer Fire Department. He was a leader in forming the Development Corporation Wando-Huger Community, which is still very active today. If it weren’t for Fred’s activism, the State Ports Authority, would have their “Golden Gateway” terminal on Daniel Island with its trucks and a railroad running through the middle of Cainhoy. Fred is working closely with many citizens and non-profits to ensure that the new 9,000 acre Guggenheim tract being developed by The Daniel Island Development Corporation, does not destroy or harm his Jack Primus Community or the valuable, sensitive archaeological/historical/environmental elements in Wando/Cainhoy. When he is not being an activist, Fred enjoys gardening in his vegetable garden.
Joseph Palmer – Joe can trace his family’s lineage in Snowden back to the 1880’s. He attended first grade at the Long Point School in Snowden and then transferred to Jennie Moore. His family moved to New York City in 1955 where he continued his education, including studying liberal arts at the City College of New York. He returned to Snowden to work with his brother as a mason. He is now a general contractor in the renovation, home repair and new construction business. He is on the Board of the Snowden Community Association and is very active in Snowden community affairs. He enjoys traveling, mainly to Ghana. For the last 10 years he has taken 5-6 people on tours through Ghana.
John Wright - John was raised by a village – the Old Mt. Pleasant Village, that is. He believes that this “village” has been instrumental in the development of his character and ideals and created a foundation that has motivated his business career, educational and personal aspirations. In 1972 his family moved to Remley’s Point. He attended Wando Highschool and Central Texas College. He served for 23 years in the U.S. Army as a Combat Engineer. He lived in Germany for 8 years and was deployed to Kuwait for Desert Storm and Bosnia. John is on the Board of Childhood Food Solutions, volunteers at Patriot’s Point, is a Kiwanis Club member, and a Prince Hall Mason. He founded the Wright walk to raise awareness of childhood obesity, childhood hunger and lack of nutrition. One of his community awareness events was to walk from Moultrie Middle School to the State House in Columbia in 4 days. He has earned several awards including Honoree of the Men of Action Black History, Presidential award for Excellence in Education, Men of Action’s Trailblazer award. He ran a business, Club Buffs, in Cincinnati, Ohio and the Gullah Bar in Mt. Pleasant, SC. In his “down” time, John likes to figure out how to do things he doesn’t already know how to do and he puts up the BEST Christmas light display in his neighborhood. John heads up the AASC public relations committee.
Reverend Arthur Pinckney - Rev. Arthur Pinckney is a lifelong resident of the Snowden Community, Mt. Pleasant, SC. He graduated from Laing High School and immediately entered the US Army.
He has received an Associate of Arts degree from Trident Technical College, he attended the College of Charleston and the former Baptist College, and he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from Rhema Bible College. He is an ordained local AME minister and serves on the ministerial staff at Olive Branch AME Church.
He began his civic career shortly after his honorable discharge from the Army. In 1978 he organized the revival of the Mount Pleasant NAACP. The East Cooper Branch of the NAACP received its charter in 1979 and Rev. Pinckney was voted in as the president. He held this volunteered, non-paying position for 10 years. He worked very closely with the other local Branch leaders: Rev. Nelson B. Rivers, Rev. John Alston, and the late Mr. Delbert Woods. He led demonstrations in Mt. Pleasant against Food Lion and Doscher's grocery stores for their unfair hiring practices, which resulted in the hiring of African American managers! America in the Solidarity March on Washington, DC.
Rev. Pinckney has spent a lifetime serving his community fighting for civil rights, human rights, social and environmental justice. He would take time from his job at the Shipyard to help save someone else’s job, land, children, or other needs.
Persons have received job promotions and held onto their land because of his fight for fairness and justice.
In 1990, he was dubbed by the media as the first “serious” Black candidate to run for Mt. Pleasant Town Council. He ran unsuccessfully three times. In 1996 the first African American (female) was elected to Mt. Pleasant Town Council.
Cast in a minor role with other local NAACP leaders, the movie “Separate But Equal”, starring Sidney Poiter as Thurgood Marshall, was filmed in Charleston.
Rev. Pinckney has worked with other local groups with missions to help people and the community: County-wide Council on Homelessness, Restoration Advisory Board for the Charleston Naval Shipyard (RAB), East Cooper Outreach (ECOO), Habitat for Humanity, Town of Mount Pleasant Pride Committee, Charleston Black Voter Participation, and the Ministerial Alliance. Because of his work with RAB and the cleanup initiative of the Charleston Naval Shipyard, he was appointed to serve on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) workgroup to study and make recommendations on environmental justice issues. Rev. Pinckney also served in several positions as a parent, the PTA, School Improvement Council, Drug Abuse Prevention Program, and PACE (Parents Actively Concerned about Education). He also served as the chairman of the Charleston County Board for the Department of social Services for many years.
Today, Rev. Pinckney continues to be involved in several of the activities listed above and in his church. He has volunteered with Meals on Wheels for over 25 years as a board member and a driver. He and his wife presently serve as drivers. He is very active in his Masonic Lodge where he has served as the Worshipful Master and District Deputy. He serves on the board for the African American Settlement Community and is actively involved in the restoration on his early childhood school to become a museum in the Snowden Community. He’s a member of C.A.G.E and AFFRA.
Rev. Pinckney’s motto: “To be of service to my fellow man. If | can help someone along the way, then my living will not be in vain”
Rev. Pinckney has been married for 45 years to Robena Huger Pinckney with a blended family of 7 children (one deceased), 15 grands (one deceased) and 4 great grands.
Honorary Posthumous - Thomasena Stokes-Marshall
2021-2022 Plan
Introduction
As the population increases within the Tri-county area, we are witnessing the demise of the special character of African American Settlement Communities. These communities are an important part of the social and cultural history of the area. Due to this unprecedented growth pressure in these communities the African American Settlement Communities (AASC) Historic Commission, Inc. was formed. The cities of Charleston County and Berkeley County have comprehensive land use plans and ordinances that mention the preservation of cultural resources. One resource that is not always addressed and or challenged is the settlement communities because they do not have legal binding ordinances or community benefit agreements that protect them.
Purpose
The African American Settlement Communities are an important part of the history of this area and in some cases date back to Reconstruction. In light of the unprecedented growth in the region the AASC Historic Commission, Inc. wants to address and find solutions while working with all local government agencies to counter the demise of the African American Settlement Communities in the Tri-County area.
Mission
To achieve our organizational purpose the AASC Historic Commission, Inc. efforts include the following:
Protect and preserve the existing characteristics of African American Settlement Communities and enhance the quality of life for current and future generations of residents of the African American Settlement Communities.Nurture and support a strong sense of community, identity, history and economic development both within the African American Settlement Communities and the larger region, to include the Gullah Geechee Corridor.
Values
The Board of Directors of the AASC Historic Commission, Inc is guided by the following values. These values describe our organization, as we want it to be.
Access - The AASC Historic Commission, Inc. will promote and provide the widest access, required by law, to our records.
Accountability - Documenting organizational activities and decision making, the AASC Historic Commission, Inc. provides an important means of ensuring accountability.
Advocacy - The AASC Historic Commission, Inc. will serve as advocates to the communities we serve. We will also advocate for the application of fair treatment of these communities in a variety of settings to the extent consistent with our organizational responsibilities as a 501(c)3 organization, and in the political arena.
Professionalism - The AASC Historic Commission Board will adhere to the mission and values adopted by the organization, collaborate with local government, municipalities, community leaders and professional organizations in the execution of its mission. The Board will also strive for excellence in its daily activities and recognize the importance of professional development.