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“The most disrespected person in America, is the black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black woman.” – Malcolm X

The people have spoken and apparently the cries have been heard, because a prosecutor who made what many considered racist, sexist and colorist statements against Black women announced Tuesday that he is resigning from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Waymond Wesley II came under fire after making the most reprehensible remarks about Black women on his social media feeds.  The African American man, who was serving under Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, is also a TikTok chef who made posts on his (now deleted) account under the handle of @WaymoTheGod.

Well, “The God” took it upon himself – with NO SHAME it seems back then – of publicly comparing Black women to TRASH, showing a particular disdain for women with the darker hues of skin.

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Despite the posts which people felt clearly showed his bias, Ogg stood by her employee saying the posts were made when Wesley “was struggling with serious personal issues, including alcohol addiction.”

Ogg’s defense did not sit well with the droves of community leaders, civil rights activists and Black women who said they were hurt directly by Wesley “trolling” them personally, leaving many to ask if Wesley was talking about WHITE or LGBTQ women, would Ogg be singing a different tune of forgiveness?

Well, folks were NOT HAVING IT and called for Wesley to be let go. They questioned and warned others that it did not appear that Wesley could be trusted to be fair to any Black woman in a court of law.

Some posts read:

– @HarrisCountyDAO is Waymond Wesley one of your employees? Is he a district attorney for Houston, TX? If so, you all need to review all of his cases in which black women were the victims as well as the accused. There could be real ramifications. #ChefWay

– He has no business being a lawyer when he discriminates black women/skin color. #ChefWay #colorism #BlackTwitter

– Just know if you’re a Black woman in some trouble in Harris County and Waymond Wesley is on the prosecution, get a good lawyer sis. Your chances of being incarcerated with a lengthy sentence just increased significantly

Well, it is not known who exactly persuaded Wesley that it was time to hit the road, but – cue Aaliyah’s hit song “4 page letter” – because that is exactly what he posted in an attempt to explain his past behavior. The main reasons, he stated, were alcohol addiction and him trying to be “trendy” on social media, jumping on a bandwagon that criticized dark skin women. (side eye: is that a good excuse for a GROWN MAN?)

Anywho….

Excerpts of the letter read:

“I know that this has been a painful time for many. The situation has remained complicated offline, but I want to offer the much-needed apology and context that I have wanted to share since the day my past tweets garnered attention.

 “Seven years ago, in my early twenties, from a place of pain fueled by alcoholism, I would lash out at people on Twitter to seek attention, including Black women. I deeply regret and am sorry for my tweets. To be fully transparent, at the time, I was severely addicted to alcohol, underweight, sleep deprived, and in and out of rehab and sober living facilities. In 2015, I was hospitalized 4 times in two states for drinking myself into unconsciousness.”

 “To Black Women

“Let me be clear. My alcoholism is not an excuse, but it gives context for who I was at that time in my life. I was a bully in 2015 that chose to pick on the most disrespected, unprotected, and neglected demographic in America: Black women. I do not hate Black women. I have never hated Black women. I have no childhood trauma, romantic heartbreak, or other interaction with a Black woman that would ever cause for me to hate them. I accept responsibility and apologize to Black women for the pain caused by the tweets, then and now.

“On Twitter from 2015-2016, there was a sick trend that targeted and trolled Black women to gain attention and followers. Unfortunately, I joined this trend. Like alcohol, I was addicted to the vitriol and hatred that was spewed back and forth between myself and other users that were angered by my posts. I regret that Black women, who already face dehumanization and discrimination from other racial groups, were the brunt of this inflammatory discourse, led in large parts by Black men online.

“These tweets were not a drunk mind speaking sober thoughts. These tweets do not reflect the majority of my interactions on the platform, and they were the product of a very sick individual who hated only himself and wanted attention. Alcoholism destroyed me mentally, spiritually, and physically. I had no deep-rooted pathological hatred for Black women then and I absolutely do not now. Black women, I am deeply sorry for the hurt I’ve caused. 

 “I’ve worked the 12 steps which taught me to make amends where I had wronged another. Today, I choose life over death, sobriety over alcoholism, and love over hate. We live in a world where we encourage troubled people to change their lives for the better and take advantage of second chances. I challenge you to believe that is possible. I am a living, breathing example.

 “Once I saw that my presence at the DA’s Office was becoming larger than the Office itself and the ability of Black women in particular to feel protected, I knew the only correct course of action was to resign and allow the healing process to begin.”

Wesley ended by speaking of the pride he took in working as a prosecutor and said he intends to work himself back up, with hopes of becoming a District Court Chief one day.

Shortly after releasing his post, the DA’s Office released a statement, completely different from the position they had when the controversy first unfolded.

A portion of the statement read,

“Wesley was hired in March 2021, but was only recently assigned as a prosecutor in the Misdemeanor Trial Bureau, where all of his cases were supervised by a senior prosecutor. At the time of his hiring, the District Attorney’s Office was unaware of a series of disparaging and offensive comments Wesley had posted on social media nearly seven years earlier. When the office became aware of the posts two weeks ago, it was determined he could no longer effectively prosecute cases and he was reassigned.

“In his resignation letter, Wesley noted that “it has grown clear that my presence is becoming a distraction,” and he and the office mutually agreed that it was in the best interests of his career and the District Attorney’s Office that he resign.”

You know, the “Souls of Black folk” do believe in the power of forgiveness. We do hope that Wesley has learned from the pain he has inflicted and is truly at a place of healing. We wish him the best.