Freddie Woolfork, sympathy

2025-2026 Bill 5373: Freddie Woolfork, sympathy - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Download
This Bill
in Microsoft Word Format
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
H. 5373
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Cobb-Hunter, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Collins, Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Ford, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lastinger, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, D. Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Scott, Sessions, G.M. Smith, M.M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Waters, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow
Document Path: LC-0477VR-RM26.docx
Introduced in the House on March 24, 2026
Adopted by the House on March 24, 2026
Summary: Freddie Woolfork, sympathy
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

3/24/2026

House

Introduced and adopted (
House Journal-page 21
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
03/24/2026

A
house
RESOLUTION

TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND
SORROW OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UPON THE PASSING OF
LEADER, EDUCATOR, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATE FREDDIE LEE WOOLFORK OF GIFFORD,
FLORIDA, AND TO EXTEND THE DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY AND MANY FRIENDS.

W
hereas, the members of
the South Carolina House of Representatives were deeply saddened to learn of
the passing of leader, educator, and civil rights advocate Freddie Lee Woolfork
of Gifford, Florida, on March 11, 2026, at the venerable age of seventy-four;
and

W
hereas, Freddie
Woolfork was born December 21, 1951, in segregated Gifford, Florida, where the
futures of most children growing up in the majority-Black town were restricted
to picking citrus in the groves or working in the tomato fields or packing
houses. Freddie was determined not to work in the citrus fields; and

W
hereas, instead, in
preparation for a bright future, the young Freddie graduated from Vero Beach
High School, Class of 1970 (for which he composed the class song), earned a
college degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (where he
played trombone in the "Incomparable Marching 100" band), and returned to
Gifford, where he became a community activist, leader, organizer, teacher, and
deacon at his church. His childhood in the Jim Crow South compelled him to push
for truth and justice even into his final years; and

W
hereas, Freddie
Woolfork devoted twenty-nine years of his life to the Gifford Youth Achievement
Center (GYAC), an educational nonprofit geared toward underserved students. He
served as its director of public relations and facilities operations, tirelessly
laboring to increase Indian River County's Black graduation rate. Since the
time he came on board with GYAC in 1997, the nonprofit has helped boost the
Black graduation rate from 23% to 90%; and

W
hereas, although his
main passion was education, he was involved in everything from the Progressive
Civic League of Gifford to the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce to the
Indian River County NAACP, in which he served as a life member. He was known by
friends and colleagues as someone who could broach difficult topics while
maintaining the respect of those in power; and

W
hereas, Freddie
Woolfork leaves to cherish his memory his family and friends, as well as a host
of other admirers, both near and far. His legacy will live on in the hearts of
those whom he blessed with his life of selfless service, and he will be greatly
missed. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, express their profound sorrow upon the passing of leader,
educator, and civil rights advocate Freddie Lee Woolfork of Gifford, Florida,
and extend the deepest sympathy to his family and many friends.

B
e it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on March 24, 2026 at 1:06 PM