When the governor of Georgia recently sanctioned new voting restrictions on the law, Park Cannon, a 29-year-old Atlanta state deputy, was knocking on his door.
Cannon wanted to witness Brian Kemp signing the law, but was denied entry. She ended handcuffed, dragged out of the state capital and charged with two crimes, obstructing law enforcement and interrupting the general assembly.
Images of his prison spread around the world, juxtaposed with the image of Kemp signing the law surrounded by white men and under a picture of a slave plantation. It was a remarkable powerful echo of the Jim Crow era – and the struggle for the right to vote in America.
The Guardian talked to Cannon about his arrest and Georgia’s new voting law.
Guardian: I wanted to ask how you are and how the last week went.
Park Cannon: Well, thanks for asking first of all. As a black woman, self-care is a buzzword that many of us are trying to internalize and act upon. So I am very blessed right now to be spending time with the family. We still don’t have a complete medical report on my injuries. However, I remain hopeful that I will soon be healed and back with the people.
Take me back last Thursday night and show me what happened. What went on in your mind?
I am elected internally as the [state Democratic] caucus secretary, as Rosa Parks was with the [local] NAACP. In this role, my job has been to witness, and take minutes, on legislative events, such as bill signatures. I have signature pens for Governor Kemp’s accounts as well as the Governor’s [Nathan] Deal to prove it. And these bills, as they are enacted, are important to Georgians. They are important to the issues we represent.
When I was warned, irregularly, that Senate Bill 202 was being signed, I knocked on the door as I always do. I was hoping that law enforcement would say the protocol and that we could come into the room and sign the bills … all I wanted to do was give the information back to the members.
I definitely wanted to be a witness to the signing of Senate Bill 202 because I had participated in the process.
Let me ask you about that photo of Governor Kemp surrounded by six white men, under the photo of a plantation. How was it for you to see this photo?
When I see the picture of Kemp, in his office, perched on his desk, strategically placed under a shameful painting of a plantation in southern Georgia, I immediately think of the Georgians who came to me to say, ‘Oh my God, my family worked there years ago. ‘And besides, he was flanked by a group of six white lawmakers, all of whom were men. In a stroke of pen, there was an erasure of decades of sacrifices, marches … as well as the tears that Georgians shed when voting in dangerous times.
So, when I juxtapose this with the photo of [my] illegal imprisonment is painful. Physically and emotionally. I really feel like time is moving in slow motion.
What do you mean by that?
It seems that a regression of our rights is taking place. And there are so many steps needed to revive our democracy. But we want to move on and we want to be united, so we need the Americans to keep beating.
Why was it important for you to be in that room?
This would not be my first time being the only black or black person in the room.
As a secretary of 78 members, it is my job to be present at meetings, bill signatures, press conferences, and general assembly sessions so that our state’s professionalism is protected. Therefore, to see the continuing lack of professionalism and disregard for people’s voting rights, this reflects the lack of concern of other elected officials about the civil rights and human rights of black and brown citizens.
The bill’s provisions that a Georgian cannot bring water or food to his friends or family while waiting in line – this is a violation of human rights. Being in the room to witness these violations is more critical now than ever.
I’m curious if you heard from the governor’s office about this, or from the speaker or from anyone in the room.
Gerald Griggs, Cannon’s lawyer: We haven’t heard from the governor, the speaker, or anyone about it. We are contacting the district attorney, we have heard from her. But as for the members who were in the room, we have none of them, except for the public comments made by the governor.
What did you think of what happened this week with companies taking a tough stance against these bills and Republicans saying that concerns are misinformed and exaggerated?
Park Cannon: Make no mistake, Georgians understand corporate responsibility. The reason we are called the No1 state to do business by the governor himself is because we are positioned as an international state with a capital too busy to hate. What this means for Georgians is that corporate responsibility is a historic commitment. That’s not news.
I’m glad people are watching. I’m happy that companies are listening to people. I hope others continue to knock.
This video of what happened to you was seen all over the world. What do you want people to know?
This is America. This is not a Republican or Democrat. This is about all of our rights. We must not lose sight of this issue. We must protect our right to vote. I encourage you to keep knocking.
This interview was condensed and edited