Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 3-14-17

Local
Tampa Police Veteran Dies After Brief Illness
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The biological and the law enforcement families of a Tampa man are mourning his loss. He died on Friday at the age of 54 after a brief illness.
A native of Fort Laud- erdale, Sgt. Jeffrey L. Wilks was the son of Mrs. Jacqueline Wilks and the late Moses Wilks. He is survived by his sister, Cheryl, nephew, “Trey,” other family members, the Tampa Police Department, and friends.
Mrs. Wilks said her son was a confirmed bachelor and did not have any chil- dren. However, he loved his family and showered his mother with attention.
“No mother could ask for a better son. He took care of me and I didn’t want for any- thing. He was a loving person and the best son I could have ever had,” Mrs. Wilks said.
He began his education in the public schools of Brevard County. His family moved to Tampa when he was in mid- dle school. He graduated from Hillsborough High
SGT. JEFFREY L. WILKS 10/1/1962 --- 3/10/2017
School in 1980.
After graduation, he en-
rolled at the University of South Florida, where he ma- jored in Criminal Justice. Mrs. Wilks said, “He always wanted to be a police officer. At first, it was the FBI then he became a police officer.”
Mrs. Wilks said after her son graduated from the Police Academy, he joined the Tampa Police Depart- ment June 15, 1987.
During his tenure at the Tampa Police Department Sgt. Wilks worked in sev- eral communities throughout the City of Tampa. He was
promoted to the rank of Ser- geant in January 2005. At the time of his death, Sgt. Wilks was assigned to Uniform Dis- trict 1, on the midnight shift.
Sgt. Wilks was the recip- ient of more than 20 com- mendations from citizens during his career. He was a long standing member of the PBA Board of Directors.
Sgt. Wilks attended St. John Cathedral when his schedule allowed. He was an avid sports fan, loved all types of sports. He was an avid Soccer player and season ticket holder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sgt. Wilks visited Dallas in December to attend a game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he be- came ill and never made it to the game. He was trans- ported from a hospital in Dal- las to Tampa General Hospital. He never came home and remained at the hospital until his death last Friday of a seizure.
Funeral services for Sgt. Wilks were incomplete at press time. Blount & Curry are in charge of handling arrangements.
Your History Book Arrives Weekly
BY ERSULA KNOX ODOM
It is painful for African Americans when we realize we have been left out or writ- ten out of books and muse- ums that tell the stories of the very communities we live and helped to build. We notice when we are not there. How- ever, while we are waiting to be included, there is some- thing any of us can do. We can collect tomorrow’s his- tory today because it arrives every week in our local African American newspa- pers and/or magazines.
Try this – every time these publications report “a first”, clip and save it. A few years from now, your clipping be- comes historic. Before you know it, you have docu- mented a decade of Black his- tory.
Frankly, I was surprised I found a couple of firsts in just a few minutes within the clip- pings I was processing. I learned from the Florida Sentinel Bulletin that in June 2016, USF just gradu- ated their first Black salutato- rian and first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in Applied Physics, Cristen Thomas and Jasmine A. Oliver, M.S., respectively. These arti- cles are now a part of my “Local Firsts” collection.
We can build our own his- tory books. Do you love sports? Collect information on when records are broken. Collect highlights on local quarterbacks or the unsung heroes who wrap their ankles before the game – you may have to write that story. Be sure to note the date and pub- lication where the article ap- peared. If you don’t, you will wish you had.
Black publications, like the rest of the country, are packed with local and na- tional Black history during
Black History Month. Twenty-eight, and some- times, twenty-nine days in February are simply not enough. As author of African Americans of Tampa, I celebrate Black History every week.
To be clear, I clip articles from all sources. However, none are as rich with Black History than the Black news- paper you have in your hands or reading online.
Personally, I love the orig- inal, physical copy. No one stands between you and your future access to the informa- tion, as you have chosen to collect it. I started a scrap- book in high school. When I scan through these old collec- tions, I realize how our minds turn life into a series of “sound bites.” Oh, the things we forget!
Having the article mini- mizes the effect of our sound bite memories. Having the physical clipping can be the evidence needed to inspire online research or a dig through library archives. Having the original relic al- lows you to read the informa- tion written with the vernacular of the time, as po- litically incorrect as it may be.
Full disclosure, I have ei- ther appeared in or written for these publications at one point in my life, so, I feel a personal sense of gratitude to them. In the Tampa Bay area, we have several; The Florida Sentinel, The Weekly Challenger, St. Pete Bulletin, The Florida Courier, InTouch and The Power Broker Magazine.
If you have such a publica- tion in your area, pause and think of how valuable it is to
you and your legacy.
Ersula Odom is a legacy writer with Sula Too LLC. Additional information can be found at www.sula too.com
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