MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina coastal town is honoring a Black man it hired as a police officer more than 120 years ago.
Mount Pleasant dedicated a plaque to Edmund Jenkins in the lobby of its police office on Friday.
Jenkins was hired in the 1890s to be a police officer after being born into slavery, the department said in a statement.
He served in World War I and then was elected town marshal in 1920, serving in that role for seven years, according to the memorial marker.
A public housing complex in Mount Pleasant was named for Jenkins and the town said honoring his service at the police department is also important.
Jenkins’ family said they appreciate the town honoring him as a respectful and faithful citizen.
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