CLASS Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Overcoming, the inspiring and informative memoir by Robert N. Jenkins, Sr., one of 13 children born to a rural McClellanville couple. Jenkins overcame poverty and prejudice to become a member of the Air Force rifle corps, the fourth African American graduate of The Citadel, a graduate of the University of South Carolina’s law school, a distinguished attorney providing legal defense for those without means, and ultimately a family court judge meting out justice with fairness and compassion.
Through the Jim Crow South of the 50s and 60s and an inequitable education system, despite The Great Society’s efforts to balance the scales, Jenkins persevered through hard work, determination, a commitment to learning, and an abiding faith, all of which disallowed “excuses” – for himself, his children, his co-workers, and his clients.
His decades-long friendship with Congressman James E. Clyburn, Majority Whip of the U.S. Congress, is honored in the Foreword when Clyburn pens, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once intoned that, ‘Anyone can be great because anyone can serve … You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.’ The great Civil Rights leader could have been talking about Robert Jenkins.”
Filled with photos and personal remembrances, Overcoming is an inspirational reflection on a life well lived. The book will be launched at a Moveable Feast on Friday, July 2, 11 AM-1 PM at the McClellanville Town Hall, 405 Pinckney Street. Space is limited, reservations are required. Tickets are $30 per person and include a presentation by the author followed by lunch catered by Joe’s Catering Service/Buckshot’s Restaurant.
Reservations may be made by calling 843.235.9600 or online at https://classatpawleys.com/class.php. Books will be available at the event ($20) for signing, or in advance from the Village Museum in McClellanville (www.VillageMuseum.com) or the publisher, www.ClassAtPawleys.com.