1943
Born to Irving Stokes and Rebecca (Boston) Stokes in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
1960
Graduates from Yorkville Vocational High School in New York City.
1963
Is a New York State Department of Corrections Officer until 1977.
1968
Is a New York City Police Officer and is promoted to detective in 1978, serving in the role until 1991.
1987
Receives a Bachelor of Arts in public administration and community organization from New York University, Herbert Lehman College.
1998
Is elected a council member for the Town of Mt. Pleasant and serves as council mayor pro tem from 2011 through 2015.
2004
Founds the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Festival and serves as the executive director until 2017.
2005
Spearheads the movement that resulted in the construction of the Thomasena Stokes-Marshall Senior Citizens Service Center in 2008.
2006
Collaborates with the College of Charleston and Avery Research Institute to produce the “Bin Yah, There’s No Place Like Home” documentary.
2007
Collaborates with the Charleston Gibbs Museum to document and produce the “Grass Roots, African Origins of an American Art” exhibition.
2008
Founds the Sweetgrass Basket Making Summer Camp for boys and girls.
2014
Serves as a governing board member of the East Cooper Medical Center.
2017
Is the recipient of the Atlantic Peace and Dialogue Award.
2018
Founds the African American Settlement Communities Historic Commission.
2019
Receives the Historic Charleston Foundation’s Women Who Impacts Preservation Award.
2021
Continues to sit on the board of Affordable Housing for All Mt. Pleasant and the African American Settlement Historic Commission.