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James E Parks Jr was born on July 7, 1957 in Fernandina Beach, Florida to James E and Nora M Parks. He is the first born of two boys born to James Sr. and Nora. Later he got a sister and a brother from his mother's 2nd marriage, and a sister and brother from his father's 2nd marriage, making James Jr the eldest of 6. His first place remembered living in was on 13 acres on St Johns Bluff Rd. in Jacksonville, Fl. The cooking was done on an old pot belly stove, and baths were taken in a big galvanized tub. The property had been the site of a saw mill at the turn of the 20th century. A lot of the old equipment and buildings remained. The family rented the property for $45 a month, and held it from about 1960-90. It was a good place to grow up in the early years.
When 8 years old the family moved for a short time to Milwaukee, Wi. There James went to the 22nd St. Elementary school. The schools were segregated there. He hadn't noticed any separation of people until that time in his life. While there his mother, who had become divorced from his father, worked at a cab company. The 1967 Milwaukee riot happened while he resided there. James saw national guard troops and rioters in the streets. His mother Nora was trapped in the cab company for three days due to unrest and danger. After the riots ended the family moved back to the homestead in Florida on St Johns Bluff Rd. James lived in Jacksonville Florida after that until High School.
James went to high school from 7th through 11th grade at George Washington High in Indianapolis indiana. James dropped out of school in the 11th grade, becoming a runaway teenager in Tampa Florida. While in Tampa he got mixed up with a religious cult. James didn't follow their teachings, but rather just needed a place to stay and something to eat. The group kicked James out of the house after a few days because they caught him smoking. He was able to obtain employment at the MacDill AFB Hospital as a grounds keeper. While waiting for that first paycheck, James made use of soup kitchens and missions and slept on the streets. Later James returned to his parents and then joined the US Navy.
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