“Thank god for another days journey.”
CHARLES BRAVE, JR.
President – ILA Local 1422
District Vice Pres. – South Atlantic & Gulf Coast District,
Charles Brave, Jr. was elected President of ILA Local 1422 in November of 2021 and a District Vice President of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District, ILA in July of 2023.
Charles started his longshore career in 1968 with ILA Local 1751 in Georgetown, SC. working part-time while attending Howard high school. Upon graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Army in 1973 and served his country for three years.
In 1976, Mr. Brave returned to the ILA where he has been ever since. He worked tirelessly for ILA Local 1751 and was elected Vice President. Prior to ILA Local 1751 merging with ILA Local 1422 in Charleston, Charles maintained dual membership in both locals. After the merger, and for many years, he served on the Executive Board of ILA Local 1422.
Not only has Charles Brave been active in the ILA, he has been a champion for workers’ rights in South Carolina. Making a difference in the labor movement, in a right-to-work state, led him to run for president of the South Carolina AFL-CIO in 2019 which he won and served until 2023. Mr. Brave is proud of the accomplishments made during his tenure as president of the SC AFL-CIO and of being chosen as a recipient of the “Richard L. Trumka World Peace Prize for Solidarity.”
Mr. Brave is an active member in several labor organizations/statistic groups such as the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist (CBTU), A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) , CAFE, Progressive Network, South Carolina NAACP, and the National Martin Luther King Committee.
If asked, “What do you value most in Life?”, Charles would say my God, my Family and my Dignity. He is Blessed with a loving wife (Jacqueline), son (Trey), daughter-in-law (Katie), and three wonderful granddaughters, Taylor, Reagan and Peyton.
Mr. Brave is an ordained Deacon at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Georgetown, S.C. He has held the position of Deacon Coordinator since 1986. His favorite Scripture is II Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight).