The newly-elected commissioner of Athens-Clarke County in Georgia has reportedly been sworn into office while placing her hand on a copy of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" instead of a Bible.
Mariah Parker, a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, took her oath of office on the steps of the Athens City Hall on Monday after beating her opponent Taylor Pass by 13 votes in the recent local elections.
During the swearing-in ceremony, she reportedly declined to use a Bible and asked for the book by Malcolm X.
"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," Parker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I wanted Malcolm's book. I think they saw it coming," she added.
Parker ran on a platform of economic justice, fair wage jobs, criminal and justice reform, reducing discrimination and more affordable housing.
Photos showed Parker holding up her fist as she was sworn-in next to her mother, who held Malcolm X's book for her.
Malcolm X's autobiography, written by Pulitzer Prize winning author Alex Haley, was published in 1965 just weeks after the civil rights leader's assassination.
In the book, Haley chronicled Malcolm X's struggles before he became one of the most recognized civil rights activists in the U.S.
"Having seen the transformation of someone who came through a difficult background to become vocal and push conversations on race in a radical way is powerful," Parker said, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"Then he shifted course and saw race in a different lens as he got older. And the fact that he was arguably killed for his politics. These are things that I want to embrace," she added.
Parker, who describes herself as openly queer, is also known for her rap career under the stage name Lingua Franca. She said that her desire to run for office was sparked by what she perceived as a need for vocal leadership.
The newly-elected commissioner has seen her own share of struggles with drug abuse and mental health problems in the past. She said that she was fortunate that she had been able to go to college.
"But I struggled and I thought people only looked at me as having nothing to offer," the 26-year-old said, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
