Jheanelle Wilkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jheanelle Wilkins
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| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 20th district |
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| Assumed office January 25, 2017 |
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| Appointed by | Larry Hogan |
| Preceded by | William C. Smith Jr. |
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| Born | May 29, 1988 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residences | Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Delaware (B.A.) American University (M.P.A.) |
Jheanelle K. Wilkins (born May 29, 1988) is an American politician. She works as a state delegate for District 20 in the Maryland House of Delegates. She has held this job since 2017. Ms. Wilkins is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 2022, she has been the leader of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.
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Early Life and Education
Jheanelle Wilkins was born in Kingston, Jamaica. When she was five, her family moved to the United States. She grew up in New Castle, Delaware, with her mother and older brother.
She went to the University of Delaware. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in sociology. Later, she studied at American University. She earned a master's degree in public administration. This degree focused on social policy. While at the University of Delaware, she joined a sorority called Alpha Kappa Alpha.
After college, Jheanelle moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. She became very interested in local politics. She wanted to make a difference through new laws. She joined different groups, like the Montgomery County Committee on Hate/Violence. She also worked on social justice issues. In 2014, she was elected to the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.
What She Does
Her Early Work
Jheanelle Wilkins started her career as an intern in 2008. She worked at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. This group works to protect people's rights. She held many jobs there, including field assistant and field manager. Now, she is the Director of State and Local Government Affairs for the group.
At The Leadership Conference, she helped with many important issues. She worked to improve immigration laws. She also worked for equal education for everyone. She helped train leaders across the country to support civil rights.
She was also on the board of the Montgomery County Association of Black Democrats. She was active with the Montgomery County Young Democrats.
Serving in Maryland's Government
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In 2016, a state delegate named William C. Smith Jr. moved to a different job. This left an open spot in the Maryland House of Delegates. Jheanelle Wilkins applied for the job. In January 2017, she was chosen by a local committee. Governor Larry Hogan then appointed her to the position. She was sworn in as a delegate on January 25, 2017.
Jheanelle Wilkins made history when she joined the House of Delegates. She was the first African-American woman to represent her district. She also became one of the first Black women elected to the Maryland House of Delegates from Montgomery County. This happened when she won her first full term in 2018.
In 2022, Jheanelle Wilkins was chosen to lead the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. This group works to make sure Black communities have a strong voice in the state government.
Her Committee Roles
As a delegate, Jheanelle Wilkins works on different committees. These groups study specific topics and help create new laws.
- She is the Vice-Chair of the Ways and Means Committee. This committee handles money and taxes. She has been a member since 2017.
- She is also on the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. This committee helps set the rules for the House of Delegates.
- From 2020 to 2023, she was the Parliamentarian. This means she helped make sure meetings followed the rules.
What She Believes In
Education
Jheanelle Wilkins cares a lot about education. In 2012, she supported colleges being able to consider race when choosing students. She believes this helps make sure everyone has a fair chance.
In 2019, she worked on a law to stop unfair treatment in private schools. She wants all students to be treated equally.
In 2023, there was a problem with Maryland's college savings plan. Ms. Wilkins said she would support laws to make the agency more open. This means families would know more about their savings.
Housing
Ms. Wilkins has worked to protect people who rent homes. In 2019, she tried to pass a law to stop landlords from kicking people out without a good reason. She tried again in 2021 and 2022.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, she asked the Governor to help people with their rent and mortgage payments. She also worked on a law to stop landlords from raising rent during health crises.
In 2023, she helped pass a law that gave $15 million to help people pay their rent.
Social Issues
Jheanelle Wilkins supports laws that promote fairness. In 2019, she helped pass a law that makes the state tell how much it pays prisoners for their work.
In 2020, she supported the CROWN Act. This law stops unfair treatment based on a person's hairstyle.
Taxes
In 2020, Ms. Wilkins worked on a law to help small businesses. This law would give them tax breaks if they were affected by the building of the Purple Line.
In 2021, she supported a law to help more people get a tax credit. This credit helps low-income workers.
Voting Rights
Ms. Wilkins wants to make it easier for people to vote. In 2021, she worked on a law that would let voters choose to always get their ballot by mail.
In 2023, she spoke against a law that would create special elections for open seats. She felt that the current way of choosing new delegates helps more minority candidates get into office.
Images for kids
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Jheanelle Wilkins
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Wilkins has served as the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland since 2022.
