While the buzz about Pensacola mayoral candidate Ashton Hayward skipping the Downtown Rotary debate has started to die down, there is a rumble in the African-American community over Mayor Mike Wiggins barging into the memorial service of community activist Leroy Boyd and reading a proclamation honoring Boyd. Wiggins was not on the program and had been a vocal opponent of Boyd’s efforts to rename Alcaniz St. for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and removing the Confederate battle flag from the city’s five flags.
The question that some are asking is would Wiggins have done the same thing at the funeral service for Vince Whibbs, Sr. or M.J. Menge. The more appropriate time would have been at a city council meeting.
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Spoke with Mike Wiggins a few minutes ago. He said that the family had invited him to speak at the service and that Mrs. Boyd had approved the wording of the proclamation. Wiggins said that although he and Leroy often disagreed: “Leroy, would often come plop himself in my office, which is just down from his place. We talked more than people realized.”
Wiggins said that he did not oppose the removal of the Confederate battle flag and support City Manager Tom Bonfield on it…”even though I took heat from some people, it was the right thing to do.”