Jacksonville, FL – On May 27, two dozen supporters gathered for a press conference announcing the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition's (JPC) campaign launch to get State Attorney Angela Corey out of office. Angela Corey is responsible for letting George Zimmerman walk free after he murdered Trayvon Martin. Corey is also responsible for locking up Marissa Alexander for defending herself from her ex-husband. Corey followed this by botching the trial of Michael Dunn for the cold-blooded murder of African American teenager Jordan Davis. She is responsible for locking up a high number of Latino and African American youth in Jacksonville. The people of Jacksonville are ready to organize and get Angela Corey out of office.

Supporters held signs that read, “Angela Corey: Wanted” and chanted, “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Angela Corey has got to go!” Speaking to a crowd of activists and reporters, JPC organizer Wells Todd laid the facts out: “In today's Florida Times Union, there it a story about Cristian Fernandez. The youngest child ever to be charged as an adult is in a privately managed, state-contracted juvenile correctional center. Cristian is a victim of abuse and is not getting the treatment he needs for the trauma he has suffered. This is the kind of justice our children are receiving under Angela Corey – children that are victims being charged as adults. The system is truly broken. This is Angela Corey's style of justice.”

The crowd grew fiery as they listened to speakers talk about the need for justice in Jacksonville. JPC organizer Tefa Galvis summed up the purpose of the campaign: “We're here to get Angela Corey out of office because of the racist, oppressive system she represents. This is a continuation of our campaigns to get justice for Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Marissa Alexander and all the other injustices Angela Corey has perpetrated.”

After the speakers, the activists walked boldly into city hall to confront the city council about the need to remove Angela Corey from office. Organizers spoke out during public comment, denouncing Angela Corey for enforcing a policy of racist discrimination against African American and Latino youth in Jacksonville. Jacksonville Progressive Coalition members reminded the crowd of their successful campaign to rename Nathan Bedford Forrest High School. The school is no longer named after a Confederate General and KKK Grand Wizard. A JPC leader said the time had come for removing Angela Corey from office as part of a broader effort to fight racism in the South.

This came on the heels of the last city council meeting, where JPC members gathered to hear Angela Corey feebly defend her policies, including her desire to reject the spirit of a proposed city council resolution calling for civil citations instead of jail time for youth in Jacksonville. People around the country were outraged when Angela Corey let George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn escape from trail without guilty verdicts, and realized that she was part of a bigger system that allows racist white vigilantes to murder young African American men and face no or few repercussions. Angela Corey has made it clear that she wants to continue locking up African American and Latino youth in Jacksonville, often trying them as adults. The Jacksonville Progressive Coalition and the people of Jacksonville made their message clear as well: “Angela Corey has got to go!” Fight Back! will be covering this campaign as it unfolds this summer.

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