Black Georgia Lawmaker Arrested and Charged With a Felony After Knocking on Gov. Brian Kemp's Door
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Posted By: Kennedy Williams on March 26, 2021 This past voting season, Democratic Georgians had a lot to celebrate. After managing to flip the historically red state blue, securing the majority in the U.S. after tense run-off elections, and breaking records for Black voter turn out, GA voters, Black voters, in particular, showed just how powerful our people can be when we exercise our right to vote. Instead of accepting the loss and moving on, GA Republicans have made it their mission to make it even more difficult for Black voters to recreate the successes of the last voting season. On Thursday, GA Gov. Brian Kemp signed a restrictive voting bill into law. The new law includes restrictions on voting by mail and gives the Republican majority legislative branch greater control over how elections are run. The law also bans volunteers from delivering supplies like food and water to voters waiting in long lines and prohibits most uses of mobile voting buses. Democrats and voting rights groups alike say that the law disproportionately disenfranchises voters of color. President Joe Biden has publicly said that it is “sick” and “un-American.” According to lawyer and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, several lawsuits have already been filed to overturn the law. Democrat and State Rep. Park Cannon shared the sentiments and decided to voice her displeasure with the governor. While Kemp was announcing the signing of the bill over a live stream from his office, he was interrupted when Cannon knocked on his door. Because of this, she was arrested by Georgia State Patrol and forcibly removed from the state Capitol building in Atlanta. She was later charged with felony obstruction of law enforcement and disrupting General Assembly sessions or meeting of members, which is a misdemeanor. The Georgia State Patrol argues that Cannon’s knocking interrupted the signing of the bill, hence the obstruction and disruption charges. Rep. Cannon was transported to the Fulton County jail but has since been released. The blatant disregard for the rights of people of color continues to plague this country, and racist leaders continue to show their true colors. We pray that Rep. Cannon is relieved of these egregious charges, and we hope that something is done about the new restrictive voting policies. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Kennedy Williams
From Loganville, GA Spelman College class of 2020 Member Since July 2016 |
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