Outspoken black rights activist and one half of Run The Jewels, Killer Mike has announced today that he will be putting his hand up to run for State Representative in his home of Atlanta, Georgia. He announced the news via Instagram, stating “If I win, we win”.
Democrat Rep. Tyrone Brooks currently holds the seat, and has done so since 1980. Unfortunately, however, Brooks was charged “in a 30-count indictment that includes charges of mail, wire and tax fraud,” with charges ranging “from the mid-1990s through 2012″ according to a 2013 Atlanta Constitution-Journal report. “Brooks solicited contributions from individuals and corporate donors to combat illiteracy and fund other charitable causes, but then used the money to pay personal expenses for himself and his family.”
Just to clarify: he can’t actually run because he hadn’t registered. He has used this to raise awareness abou tthe empty seat, which he says has been largely ignored for too long.
Killer Mike will be appearing on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore tonight (US time) ahead of the District 55 election tomorrow (June 16). Having given lectures at the New York University and the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology recently, heavily regarding race relations, Mike has already proven he has his head screwed on and is passionate enough about what is going on to make a difference. Not only does he openly criticise and lament what is happening in the US and has been happening for an extremely long time, he also puts forward solutions and progressive strategies to maximise the influence and effects to implement these effectively. It was really only a matter of time before Killer Mike’s unwavering passion in the face of adversity overflowed into a position where he could do even more change. Here’s hoping District 55 is ready.