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Henry "Hank" Wilkins, IV

Henry "Hank" Wilkins, IV (born December 13, 1954) is a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives(1). Wilkins was first elected in 1998 and served as Representative for District 73 for one terms until 2000 (2). In 2000, Wilkins was elected to the Arkansas State Senate, representing District 5 until January 2011, when he was term limited. After leaving the Arkansas State Senate, Wilkins was again elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 17 (3).

'Early Life and Education'

Wilkins was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the largest city in Jefferson County. His father, the late Henry Wilkins III, a college professor, also served in the Arkansas House of Representatives (4).Wilkins, III, served 10 consecutive terms in the legislature. His mother, Dr. Josetta Edwards Wilkins, a retired educator, easily won election to her late husband's House seat. Additionally, Wilkins' maternal uncle, Gene Edwards, was a long time Arkansas State Senator (5).

Wilkins graduated from Pine Bluff High School in 1972. He received his bachelor's degree in General Studies (concentration on history, political science and pre-law) in 1975 from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (6). Wilkins then entered the University of Arkansas School of Law (6). While a full-time student, Wilkins was drawn to the ministry and was ordained in 1977, after which he became Pastor of the Saint James United Methodist Church of Fayetteville, Arkansas. With only one semester remaining before law school completion, Wilkins was accepted to the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. There, he earned a Masters of Divinity degree (7).

Relocating to the Dallas, Texas area, Wilkins became Senior Pastor of that city's Highland Hills United Methodist Church. Following his successful stint at Highland Hills UMC, Wilkins was then appointed Pastor of the Holy Covenant United Methodist Church in Carrollton, Texas.

Political Career

In 1994, heeding the call to help the city where he grew up, the Wilkins family relocated back to Pine Bluff. That same year, Wilkins was named Pastor of the Saint James United Methodist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In early 1997, Wilkins decided to follow in the footsteps of his parents, announcing that he would become a democratic candidate for the Arkansas House of Representatives. He won the May 1998 primary election and ran unopposed in the November general elections. After serving one term in the House, Wilkins was elected to the Arkansas State Senate in November 2000. He officially took the oath of office in January 2001 as State Senator for District 5 ( 8 ).

During his decade in the Arkansas State Senate, Wilkins championed many causes and authored, sponsored and co-authored legislation aimed at moving Arkansas forward. Among the issues he championed are: education, public health and safety, racial profiling and a mandatory seat belt law. Wilkins was lead sponsor of Act 308 of 209, which created the Mandatory Seat Belt Law in Arkansas (9). For that effort, Wilkins received the 2010 Lifesavers Award sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (10). Also, in 2010, Wilkins was named "Friend of the Children and Families" for his dedication in the fight to provide state funding for substance abuse treatment programs for children and families in Arkansas. In 2001, the Pine Bluff Housing Authority renamed a building on its campus "The Henry "Hank" Wilkins, IV Community Center in his honor (11).

In both the Arkansas House and Senate, Wilkins had held key leadership positions. In the Senate, he is the immediate past chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit for the state of Arkansas, the first African-American to hold that position (12). Additionally, Wilkins has the distinction of being the first African-American to chair the Legislative Council, serving for two bienniums (only legislator ever to do so). Further, Wilkins is a founding member of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and served as its chairman. He is also a past president of the Legislative Black Caucus and served as Assistant President Pro Tem of the Arkansas State Senate.

'Ministry'

As an ordained minister, Wilkins has served as senior pastor of the Saint James United Methodist Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas since 1994. Under his leadership, Saint James has experienced significant growth in membership, becoming the largest African-American United Methodist Church in Arkansas. In 1998, Philander Smith College in Little Rock awarded Wilkins a Doctorate of Humane Letters. Philander Smith College is a member of the United Methodist Church and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). Wilkins is also an Elder/Full Connection: The Little Rock Conference of the United Methodist Church (13).

'Personal'

Wilkins is married to the former Phyliss Cannon, a union that has lasted more than 35 years. The Wilkins' have two adult sons, Hank Wilkins V, a graduate of Harvard University, and Wesley E. Wilkins, a a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). The Honorable Rodney E. Slater, former United States Secretary for Transportation, is married to Wilkins' sister, Casssandra. One of Slater's mentors was the late Henry Wilkins, III, who introduced him to the future Bill Clinton (14). Slater met his wife, Cassandra, while he and Wilkins, IV were university classmates. Slater's stint as transportation secretary came during the Clinton Administration (1997-2001). Wilkins is the author of a book to be released in 2013 entitled "Reaching for the Kingdom: Faith in Public Service."

References (1) www.arkansashouse.org/member/297 (2) www.votesmart.org/candidate (3) www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/members (4) www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3710 (5) Article from African-American History in Arkansas. Can be found at www.scribd.com/doc/44093226/African-American-History-Makers-Coloring-Book (6) www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/member/Henry Wilkins (7) www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/member/Henry Wilkins (8) Ibid. Above page. (9). www.asp.arkansas.gov/newsroom/index (10) Ibid. See video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONPGeaMUmWg (11) ww.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009 (12) www.arkansashouse.org/member/297/henry-wilkins-iv (13) See Wilkins bio at www.stjamespinebluff.org (14) Information used from www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3710