(The Independent) – A Georgia county official has taken her oath of office by placing her hand on The Autobiography of Malcolm X instead of on the bible, as is most common during American swearing-in ceremonies. Mariah Parker, a 26-year-old doctorate student who was elected to the Athens-Clarke County commission, said that she turned down two other options presented by officials at the swearing in before she picked the autobiography.
“They asked if they would like the Bible and I said no. My mother asked if there was a copy of the Constitution around. No,” Ms Parker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I wanted Malcolm’s book. I think they saw it coming.” Ms Parker has previously studied linguistics as a rapper, and goes by the name Lingua Franca. She managed to win the commission seat by just 13 votes, and said that Malcolm X’s life story inspires and informs her worldview. READ MORE
