"The most disrespected person in America is the black woman.
"The most unprotected person in America is the black woman.
"The most neglected person in America is the black woman."
-- Malcolm X
Well, on Thursday people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and backgrounds, converged on Tallahassee in support of Aramis Ayala.
A black woman.
A black woman who dared to take on an unjust criminal justice system.
A black woman who dared to take on an unjust governor.
A black woman who is now taking on an unjust Republican-led Legislature.
A black woman who is taking on people who are behaving like a 1950s-type lynch mob.
A black woman who is only trying to do what she was elected to do.
Her job of state attorney.
Contrary to what those who are crying for the blood of Markeith Loyd, and waving their pitchforks wildly at Aramis Ayala's head may think, it is HER discretion to decide whether to utilize the death penalty.
If the Republicans in the Florida Legislature want to put tourists who visit Disney and the surrounding area in harm's way by cutting some $1.83 million in funds to the 9th Judicial Circuit, go ahead. That is their discretion.
In its petty political posturing, the Legislature will be hurting the state, because if I were a tourist, I wouldn't come here knowing that legislators would cut safety measures to punish a black woman.
If Rick Scott, who has already removed the Loyd case from Ayala because of that same 1950s-style lynch mob, wants to remove her as the first black elected state attorney, go ahead.
Scott potentially has another statewide race to run.
Hundreds of people from around the state converged on Tallahassee. The support for Ayala is growing.
I guarantee you will see a much larger turnout of the African-American vote in 2018.
We will not be quiet. We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated.
We will not forget.
Our voices will continue to grow.
Ayala's support will continue to grow.
You see, it isn't about Markeith Loyd and whether we think he should be punished. We do.
Gov. Scott overstepped here.
It is time that the black woman be respected, protected, not neglected.
People showed that today in Tallahassee.
Bravo.
Leslie Wimes, a Sunshine State News columnist, is founder and president of Women on the Move and the Democratic African American Women Caucus, www.daawc.com. Follow Leslie on Twitter: @womenonthemove1.
