Killer Mike Is Honored By The Georgia Senate & Challenges Them To Do Better For All People

Over the last several years, Killer Mike has very definitively established himself as one of Hip-Hop’s greatest activists. Mike’s civic-mindedness could be heard extensively in his music, particularly on album’s like R.A.P. Music and his Run The Jewels collaborations with El-P. However, in the wake of tragedies like the killing of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO, and the resulting riots, Mike raised his voice to a whole different level, making appearances on news programs, from CNN to FOX, participating in rallies and engaging on digital platforms. His comments were always considered, complex and keenly intelligent. And, while he often voiced the anger that many felt, it was always accompanied with proposed solutions.

Killer Mike Says It’s Time To Take Down The System By Taking Our Money Out Of It (Video)

As police killings of young Black men continued, it was Mike who proposed pulling money out of the capitalistic system that allowed these things to keep happening, and re-investing in businesses and banks that furthered interests that were aligned with the concerned communities. He also came up with innovative ways to flip things like buying a new pair of Jordan’s into a way of building one’s credit. Mike was also quick to call out those in the community. Tired of hearing about grumblings of a “revolution” needing to take place, Mike very pointedly said most were not ready for revolution. They had no food, no martial arts training and lacked the proper knowledge of how to use firearms.

Killer Mike Explains How Sneakers Can Be Turned Into Tools Of Financial Empowerment

Mike has not been all talk, though. He’s walked the walk, too. He sought to become a Georgia state representative, but was thwarted by a technicality. He locked arms with Senator Bernie Sanders and traveled with him from state to state in an effort to help him be elected as the President of the United States. And, more recently, he took up the fight for clean and safe water for all people in the state of Georgia. It is for those efforts that Mike was honored today (March 10) by the Georgia Senate.

Killer Mike Tells Blacks Don’t Talk About Revolution Because “You Ain’t Ready To Revolt” (Video)

Speaking at the Senate podium, Mike said to the senators “I stand up here today as a guy in a Braves hat and a gold chain,” he began. “And, I’m also a former 14-year old kid who came here thanks to a teacher…with Mr. Flowers, who was a white male teacher, from Alabama, gingered guy with a red beard. Because of his course that year, I fell in love with my city, with my state, and the political process. So, I’m here, because when I imagined myself here as a kid, I was dressed in all black like Run-D.M.C., and I had on a gold chain. So, you guys are indulging the fantasy of a child who made an A in Georgia History.”

I’m In GA’s state Capital. The place where law is written. In these hollowed halls have walked the most powerful people from my state. As a kid I came here via school field trips and those trips are a part of my love affair with my states political history and the political process. I was awarded a proclamation from my state this morning. US Sen. Nan Orrock awarded me and after a short speech by her and myself she led me around from introductions and pictures. I shook hands with Dems and GOP’ers and expressed my desire to see Ga push for What is right and Equitable for the Common man and woman. I wanna see this day be the start of another kids love for politics and like me that kid can go on to effect change in a bigger way. Thank u to all I met with and greeted today. Your hard work is not unnoticed and wether D or R I hope you fight to make Georgia solid for all Georgians. #YesIWoreMyChain #HellTheRuralLegislatorsWorkJeansNBoots ???? #IPicturedMySelfHereAsAKid #AllBlackWithTheChainLikeDMCandRun #RIPKMJ #ITookTheChainOffForMySpeechTho #TheRepublicansToldMyWifeThatWasClassy #HeHadOnBoots ???? #UmmaKeepShhhDoe ????

A post shared by Killer Mike (@killermike) on

After that ice-breaker, Mike got down to business. First, he acknowledged and thanked the Georgia lawmakers on the progress they had made over the years. “We’ve spent the last hundred years or so, getting things equitable, but not only for Black people, for poor and working class White people, for women, for gays and lesbians, and for now, currently, immigrants. So, I would like to thank all of you guys on both sides of the aisle–Democrat and Republican–for working hard to make Georgia an equitable place. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

In nearly the same breath, however, Mike began to challenge the senators on the next steps that needed to be taken. “I want to say that this state has an opportunity, unlike a lot of other Southern states, to be fair across the board. Our children deserve clean water, so thank you for making sure that’s fair. But, our children deserve decent housing. Gentrification should not make children poor. Our school systems deserve more attention. Our teachers deserve more money. Our firemen deserve more money, and our policemen deserve more than new guns. They deserve to have enough cops on the street to be involved in the community.”

In closing, Mike once again acknowledged the work that had been done to effect clean and safe water for all Georgia citizens, but he charged the senators to “make sure that Georgia remains an equitable place, not only for water, but for education, for workers’ rights, for where we’re living. It should be as fair for a rural White man in Georgia who’s trying to live by the land, as it is [for] a kid who’s growing up on the West side of Atlanta, trying to survive the concrete.”

Killer Mike Explained Donald Trump’s Victory Before It Happened (Video)

It’s clear that Mike is destined to run much more than jewels in his future. Click here to watch Mike deliver his speech.