Whitfield Jenkins was big in stature, yet had a soft voice and a manner that commanded respect, at least one speaker said. Ocala City Council President Ire Bethea recalled Whitfield Jenkins as a tireless fighter for equal rights and read a city of Ocala proclamation honoring him. The proclamation described Whitfield Jenkins as a “legendary civil rights leader” who left an “indelible mark” on the community. Whitfield Jenkins was an accomplished athlete who was attending the Denver Broncos training camp when he was drafted into the Army, according to his obituary. Sultan Ali Jenkins spoke about a letter his father once received on official KKK letterhead regarding a “disagreement.”