Video of Georgia Rep. Park Cannon being dragged from the state Capitol unfold rapidly throughout social media final week. The sight of the younger queer Black lady, a duly elected member of the state legislature, violently arrested for knocking on the governor’s workplace door shocked many.
In a latest interview, Cannon instructed Don Lemon she was terrified and afraid on the time of the arrest. However she felt transparency was necessary given the rushed nature of the invoice.
Cannon shared that because the Home Democratic caucus secretary, “it has at all times been my job to take minutes and to be current to witness invoice signings.” Gov. Brian Kemp as an alternative selected to rapidly signal the invoice, behind closed doorways, within the presence of six white male legislators underneath an image of a infamous slave plantation.
“The one factor etched in my thoughts are two issues:
Why have been they arresting me?
And the photograph of 6 all white males underneath a photograph of a plantation taking away Black and Brown voters’ rights in addition to all voters’ rights.”@Cannonfor58 on GA’s new restrictive voting legal guidelines. #TheReidOut pic.twitter.com/zZug52ARYD
— The ReidOut (@thereidout) April 1, 2023
The arrest bore a putting resemblance to the arrest of then state Sen. Nikema Williams on the Capitol throughout a particular session in December 2018. Williams now represents the fifth Congressional District, a seat beforehand held by the late John Lewis.
Two years in the past, Cannon’s Home colleague Rep. Renitta Shannon went viral after an impassioned speech towards an unconstitutional six-week abortion ban. Shannon refused to yield the Home properly after her time ran out. Georgia doesn’t have the filibuster, and Shannon felt it was the one factor she may do at that second. Shannon lately instructed Roland Martin that it’s not unusual for elected officers to witness invoice signings.
Final night time on #RolandMartinUnfiltered we mentioned the arrest of @Cannonfor58 for less than doing her job. Reps are at all times invited to witness invoice signings. The police thugs who arrested her have been utterly out of line and it received’t stand. @rolandsmartin #istandwithpark pic.twitter.com/1Ia6valzGv
— Rep. Renitta Shannon (@RenittaShannon) March 28, 2023
Elected in February 2016, Cannon succeeded former state Rep. Simone Bell. Bell mentioned watching Cannon’s arrest was traumatizing.
“Once they grabbed her, I don’t also have a phrase for it,” recalled Bell. “[But] I knew instantly, that is mistaken. This shouldn’t be occurring.”
Bell mentioned she thought again to the historical past of Black legislators from the Georgia Capitol after the civil battle. After which thought in regards to the historical past of Black and queer organizers.
“I noticed myself at Park’s age standing up for issues that I believed have been proper,” mentioned Bell.
Like Cannon, younger Black legislators are the vanguard towards a number of the worst laws within the nation. Not burdened by respectability politics and guidelines of decorum, these legislators middle fairness injustice and are preventing to guard democracy.
In Florida, a brand new trifecta is making its voice heard within the statehouse. Reps. Angie Nixon, Travaris McCurdy, and Michele Ok. Rayner-Goolsby left all of it on the Home flooring final week through the debate on H.B. 1
Throwback to just some hours in the past. The Trifecta strolling into The Chamber to fight HB 1: Anti-Protest Invoice. cc: @RepMKRG @micheleforfl @repmccurdy pic.twitter.com/svijzpY3ai
— Rep. Angie Nixon (@AngieNixon) March 25, 2023
The Florida Home debated H.B. 1, an anti-protest invoice backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, for shut to 5 hours earlier than its passage. All newly elected representatives, the “trifecta” didn’t mince phrases on the dangerous impression on communities historically in search of justice.
“A few of our biggest moments on this nation are rooted in protest,” Nixon exclaimed. “This invoice is designed to maintain us fearful. To maintain us in test.”
HB1 handed in a majority white male Republican Home however not earlier than listening to fact from State Rep. Angie Nixon. We’d like extra robust ladies like her to talk fact to energy. pic.twitter.com/0TOZNU4yYU
— Girls’s March Jax FL (@womensmarchjax_) March 28, 2023
“Let’s be sincere, y’all know this invoice is unhealthy,” Rayner-Goolsby mentioned, pointing to her colleagues within the chamber. “However deep down, we all know that this invoice will solely enhance the variety of folks in jail.” She known as out the invoice’s unfunded mandate that might shift the monetary burden to native governments and constituents.
Democracy won’t die in darkness on my watch. I’ll uphold the sunshine. I urge all members to uphold the light- and vote no on this invoice. pic.twitter.com/WZr9FbnxX0
— Rep. Michele Ok. Rayner-Goolsby (@RepMKRG) March 26, 2023
Rayner-Goolsby continued her flooring remarks to spotlight the significance of protest for marginalized communities. “There’s one thing I gotta allow you to perceive in the present day, as that in relation to Black lives, Brown lives and LGBTQ lives, in lots of circumstances, protesting has been the one device at our disposal to carry injustices to gentle,” Rayner Goolsby mentioned.
McCurdy mentioned the invoice reeked of a brand new Jim Crow. “Phrases didn’t free slaves,” McCurdy started. “Phrases didn’t give ladies the fitting to vote. Phrases didn’t finish Jim crow. And to ensure that this nation to try to reside as much as its full potential, it took protests, civil disobedience, era after era.”
Just like the wave of anti-voting rights payments popping up in statehouses throughout the nation, anti-protest payments elevated as properly. Republicans like these in Florida used the Jan. 6 revolt as a pretense to additional criminalize Black and Brown organizers’ actions.
“I’ve seen a surge and what we’re calling anti-protest laws, which for the report, is voter suppression,” mentioned Jamecia Decree, the Motion for Black Lives Electoral Justice Undertaking’s supervisor of political partnerships. “They need to suppress our vote, after which they need to criminalize how we reply.”
Nixon instructed NewsOne that it’s necessary to maintain talking up in order that hopefully, the subsequent era won’t must combat so arduous. She mentioned the payments fast-tracked in Florida and throughout the nation put Black lives in danger.
“From the assault on our first modification rights, raiding belief funds that help communities with reasonably priced housing, makes an attempt to make faculty boards much less various and extra elitist and frequently permitting tax breaks and company welfare for large companies, it’s clear these insurance policies are designed to maintain the working class and Black and Brown folks hopeless, disenfranchised and afraid to make use of their voices to combat for equality,” Nixon defined.
She desires to finish the cycle in order that Black, Brown, and different impacted communities aren’t simply surviving however thriving. “We should flourish,” mentioned Nixon. “We should relaxation. It’s what our ancestors at all times needed.”
SEE ALSO:
Georgia GOP Blame Stacey Abrams After MLB Pulls All-Star Sport Over Racist Voting Legislation
Georgia Voter Suppression Legislation 2.0: Florida Election Invoice Expands Restrictions, And Then Some
Exonerated! Falsely Accused Black Of us Freed From Jail
15 photographs Launch gallery
1. Herbert Alford
A Michigan man who spent practically 5 years in custody is suing Hertz for failing to supply in a well timed method a receipt that might have proved his innocence lengthy earlier than he was convicted of a 2011 homicide. https://t.co/kZaI5tdOv4
— NBC Information (@NBCNews) March 12, 2023
1 of 15
2. Walter Forbes
“I don’t maintain contempt for the individuals who lied to convict me … The reason being egocentric: I wasn’t going to permit them to destroy me,” mentioned Walter Forbes, freed and exonerated final week after 37 years with the assistance of @UofMInnocence. https://t.co/WfanIitchU
— The Innocence Undertaking (@innocence) December 14, 2023
2 of 15
3.
An harmless Philadelphia man has been freed after spending 19 years in jail as a result of two cops wrongly claimed he’d raped a girl after which shot at them, when he’d the truth is saved her from a special man .Attorneys for Termaine Joseph Hicks declare cops made up the story . pic.twitter.com/FJp5DQUMoQ
— HJ (Hank) Ellison (@hjtherealj) December 18, 2023
3 of 15
4. Clifford Williams, Nathan Myers
After a mixed 86 years incarcerated for a criminal offense they didn’t commit, Clifford Williams Jr. and his nephew, Nathan Myers, have been exonerated and launched final week! Mr. Myers was 18 when he was arrested and is now 61. Mr. Williams was 33 and is now 76. https://t.co/EH2qPCspEj
— Equal Justice Initiative (@eji_org) April 5, 2019
4 of 15
5. Calvin Brilliant
Supply:WUSA9
5 of 15
6. Kevin Baker, Sean Washington
Kevin Baker and Sean Washington acquired life phrases in 1996 that have been overturned on enchantment in December https://t.co/MSWoxkwPzi
— Courier-Put up (@cpsj) February 4, 2023
6 of 15
8. Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins, and Andrew Stewart
And they’re out: Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart stroll out of the Baltimore metropolis courthouse after 36 yrs for a criminal offense they didn’t do: pic.twitter.com/5UDGWMZmOB
— Tom Jackman (@TomJackmanWP) November 25, 2019
8 of 15
11. Anthony Ray Hinton
Identify: Anthony Ray Hinton, who was on Alabama’s Loss of life Row for practically 30 years for a homicide he didn’t commit. In 2018, he wrote about his expertise within the NYT bestseller, The Solar Does Shine.
Occupation: Works in neighborhood training with the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery pic.twitter.com/EwiaJueimb
— Metropolis of Birmingham (@cityofbhamal) October 4, 2019
11 of 15
13. Wilbert Jones
Louisiana man free of jail after serving 43 years for a criminal offense he didn’t commit. Wilbert Jones was arrested in 1971 on the age of 19 and convicted of rape in 1974. A decide overturned his conviction weeks in the past. He nonetheless needed to pay $2,000 bail earlier than turning into a free man in the present day. pic.twitter.com/LYV4gbTPOf
— Joel Franco (@OfficialJoelF) November 15, 2017
13 of 15
14. Xavier Davis
Supply:Courtesy of Xavier Davis
14 of 15
15. Huwe Burton
2,372nd Exon: Huwe Burton was convicted in 1991 for stabbing his mom to loss of life when he was 16. He was exonerated on Jan twenty fourth after an investigation confirmed that his confession was coerced and that his mom’s actual killer was probably a downstairs neighbor. https://t.co/TM3f76moQ5 pic.twitter.com/rsU1NlPr2y
— Exoneration Registry (@exonerationlist) February 4, 2019
15 of 15
Meet The Younger, Black Legislators Combating To Shield Democracy In Georgia And Florida
was initially printed on
newsone.com
Supply hyperlink
Powered by WPeMatico
