Cynthia Jenkins

Cynthia Jenkins (July 21, 1924 – October 31, 2001) was an American librarian, community activist and politician from New York.

Life

She was born Essie Cynthia Burnley on July 21, 1924,^[1] in Nashville, Tennessee, the daughter of Stephen Alexander Burnley and Maymie McGill Young Burnley.^[2] The family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where she attended school. She graduated B.A. from Louisville Municipal College. On April 17, 1949, she married Joseph D. Jenkins (1921–2011), a World War II U.S. Army veteran and insurance broker. Their only child was the Rev. Joseph D. Jenkins Jr.^[3] They lived in Springfield Gardens, Queens.

She graduated M.S. in Library science from Pratt Institute in 1966, and did post-graduate studies at Columbia University. She worked as a librarian in the public library system in Queens, and at times lectured at LaGuardia Community College and CUNY York College.^[4]

She entered politics as a Democrat, and was a delegate to the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Democratic National Conventions. She was a member of the New York State Assembly (29th D.) from 1983 to 1994, sitting in the 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th and 190th New York State Legislatures. In 1994, she ran for re-nomination, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by William Scarborough.

In 1997, she tried to challenge the incumbent New York City Councilman Archie Spigner in the 27th District's Democratic primary, but was ruled off the ballot. A large part of the signatures of her petition were rejected by Justice Joseph G. Golia of the New York Supreme Court which left Jenkins with less than the required number of 900 registered Democrats who needed to sign.^[5] A few days later, the Appellate Division upheld Golia's decision.^[6] In November 1997, she ran on the Independence Party ticket, but was defeated by Spigner.^[7]

In 2000, she ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for the 10th District State Senate seat,^[8] and in 2001, she ran again for Spigner's City Council seat. She was nominated again on the Independence Party ticket but died a week before the election.

She died on October 31, 2001, in North Shore Hospital in Manhasset, New York, after a long illness; and was buried in Louisville, Kentucky.^[9]

References

1. "JENKINS, ESSIE" at Social Security Info
2. Southeast Queens Remembers Former Assemblywoman, Activist by Daniel Hendrick, in the Queens Chronicle on November 8, 2001
3. "Obituaries; Joseph Jenkins" at Marshel's Wright-Donaldson Home for Funerals
4. New York Red Book (1983–1984; pg. 285ff)
5. Councilman's Challenger Removed From Ballot in Queens by Jonathan P. Hicks, in the New York Times on August 18, 1997
6. Duos and Bandwagons In Staten Island Race by Jonathan P. Hicks, in the New York Times on August 23, 1997
7. THE 1997 ELECTIONS: RESULTS; The Races for City Council in the New York Times on November 5, 1997
8. In Ballot Fights, a Mix Of Routine and Theater by Jonathan P. Hicks, in the New York Times on August 2, 2000
9. Hundreds mourn Cynthia Jenkins, 77 by Betsy Scheinbart, in the TimesLedger, of Queens, on November 8, 2001