Plant City residents William “Bill” Sr. and Gwen Thomas are heavily involved in preserving African-American history in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
For William “Bill” Sr. and Gwen Thomas, community involvement is centered around the greater good, not individual benefit.
“We volunteer not for ourselves or for monetary gain,” Gwen Thomas said. “It’s not about you all the time. You work for the better good, not for yourself.”
The couple grew up in Plant City and today have extensive involvements in the community they call home. Whether they serve individually or jointly, their current contributions include serving with the Improvement League of Plant City, the United Food Bank of Plant City, the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation board, the Plant City Photo Archives and History Center and more.
Much of their desire to support the community comes from Bill Thomas’ service in the United States Army. While today he is in charge of the forensic science identification program for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, he spent 24 years in the military and worked as a military police officer in Vietnam. He later retired as a commissioned officer.
“I think the military taught us a lot about sharing and giving back to the community,” Gwen Thomas said. “There was a camaraderie with others who lived in the housing areas. That stuck. We became ingrained in that community, and there’s nothing like working with other people.”
The couple met in 1964, when they were students learning how to skate.
“I saw her,” Bill Thomas said. “I waited until the next week to find out who she was.”
The couple married in 1969 and has now been together for 53 years. They have two children, William Jr. and Chad.
When the couple first met in school, high schools in Plant City were still segregated.
“The black kids went to Marshall primarily,” Bill Thomas said. “That changed in 1970. The downside was that there was the loss of the black business commercial district. That happened across the country, because businesses were intertwined with residential areas. Laura Street used to be a commercial district wit ha fish market, bars and clubs.”
After service in the military, the couple returned to Plant City where their families still lived.
“Our families and parents were here,” Bill Thomas said. “We were raised by the community. And if you were going to make a difference, why not do it at home? Because of the things we had seen and been exposed to, we had something to share. We wanted to share our experiences to ensure that the organizations were administratively sound.”
While the community ties have changed as society becomes more mobile, Bill Thomas said, the couple still finds it important to give back in any way they can. They hope businesses will grow and new ones will continue to come to town so that the next generations can continue to reside in Plant City.
“That retention is important to me,” Gwen Thomas said. “That, and the importance of preservation of African-American history. By educating the next generation, our history is well-established in Plant City and the unincorporated area. I feel that our history is important for the younger generations to know who they are, where they came from and really, a road map on what they need to do to keep going.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
