South Carolina S 680: Thomas Barnwell 90th

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 680 Text of Previous Version (May. 28, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 680

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A senate RESOLUTION

TO CONGRATULATE 
THOMAS C. BARNWELL JR. OF BEAUFORT COUNTY ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY 
AND TO WISH HIM MUCH HAPPINESS IN THE DAYS AHEAD.

Whereas, on June 2, 
2025, Thomas C. Barnwell Jr. of Beaufort County will awaken to the celebration 
of a milestone event, his 90th birthday; and

Whereas, born on Hilton 
Head Island as a direct descendant of the freedmen of Mitchelville, Thomas Barnwell 
attended Hilton Head Elementary, Hilton Head Junior High and Penn Schools, 
graduating from St. Helena High School in 1954. He furthered his education at 
Claflin College, Tuskegee Institute, Fisk University, University of the West 
Indies, University of Ontario, University of Puerto Rico, and University of 
Michigan; and

Whereas, beginning in 
the early 1960s, Mr. Barnwell was the field director of community development at 
the Penn Center, one of the nation's first schools for formerly enslaved people. 
In that capacity, he played a central role as the center served as a safe haven 
and planning ground for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference, personally transporting Dr. King and engaging in 
strategic conversations around civil rights organizing. It was at this historic 
and cultural institution he cultivated his commitment to nonviolence, 
education, and justice that shaped his leadership for decades; and

Whereas, throughout the 
late 1960s and 1970s, Thomas Barnwell led the formation of Beaufort-Jasper 
Comprehensive Health Services, a multi-center healthcare network which now 
serves over 25,000 people across the Lowcountry. Additionally, he appeared on 
CBS's 60 Minutes to expose health disparities in the Lowcountry, 
garnering national attention; and

Whereas, Mr. Barnwell 
co-founded the Hilton Head Fishing Cooperative, securing economic opportunity 
for local Black fishermen; served on the boards of the Bluffton Oyster 
Cooperative, Beaufort-Jasper Comprehensive Health, and numerous local 
nonprofits; and participated in John F. Kennedy Jr.'s To Fulfill These Rights 
Committee and testified before the U.S. Senate on hunger and malnutrition; and

Whereas, beginning in 
the 1980s, Thomas Barnwell developed affordable housing and advocated for land 
retention and economic stability for islanders amidst tourism-driven 
development pressures, eventually being inducted in the Hilton Head Island Hall 
of Fame for his lifelong contributions to community empowerment, cultural 
preservation, and civil rights; and

Whereas, Mr. Barnwell 
became the founding chairman of the Mitchelville Preservation Project, 
formalizing the vision to collect stories and artifacts that demonstrate the 
richness of the story of the location as well as preserve and educate the 
public about historic Mitchelville. Drafting bylaws, securing nonprofit status, 
and creating the original master plan for the park, he championed Mitchelville 
not just as a historic site, but as a living testament to his own ancestors' 
legacy and a story of freedom through self-determination; and

Whereas, most recently he 
co-authored Gullah Days: Hilton Head Islanders Before the Bridge (1861-1956) 
documenting the stories of Hilton Head's earliest Gullah Families. It is 
because of these accomplishments, as well as countless affiliations, awards, 
volunteer service, and recognitions that Thomas Barnwell continues to be 
revered as a bridge-builder, truth-teller, and keeper of history for Hilton 
Head Island and the Gullah Geechee community; and

Whereas, it is a great 
pleasure for the Senate to honor an individual such as Thomas C. Barnwell Jr. 
who has given so much to his community and to join with his family and friends 
in congratulating him on reaching this important life milestone. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, congratulate Thomas 
C. Barnwell Jr. of Beaufort County on the occasion of his 90th 
birthday and wish him much happiness in the days ahead.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution 
be presented to Thomas C. Barnwell Jr.

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This web page was last updated on May 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM