Mariah Parker (born 1991[3]), also known by the stage name Linqua Franqa, is an American rapper and labor organizer. Based in Georgia, they served as the District 2 County Commissioner for Athens-Clarke County from 2018 to 2022.
Mariah Parker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991 (age 32–33) |
| Other names | Linqua Franqa |
| Education | |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner | |
| In office June 4, 2018 – September 8, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Harry Sims[1] |
| Succeeded by | Melissa Link[2] |
Early life
editParker was raised in a small town near Louisville, Kentucky.[4] Parker first became interested in music from listening to their mother, a gospel singer, singing alongside other family members.[5]
After completing their undergraduate education at Warren Wilson College,[6] Parker briefly worked as an English teacher in Brazil before moving to Athens, Georgia in 2014.[4][5]
Music career
editAfter moving to Athens, Parker founded Hot Corner Hip Hop, a project to organize shows for local hip hop acts.[4][5] During this period, Parker adopted the stage name "Linqua Franqa", a pun on the term lingua franca.[4] Parker also began writing their own raps and participating in rap battles.[7] This early work culminated in the release of Parker's debut album, Model Minority, in 2018.[5] Spin has described Model Minority as "a sophisticated aural exploration of self, race, mental health, and social justice".[6]
Parker holds a Ph.D. in Language and Literacy from the University of Georgia. Their second album, 2022's Bellringer, was composed as a portion of their dissertation for this program.[8] Parker describes their academic experience in linguistics as an "analytic toolkit" that helps them refine their songwriting approach and delivery.[5] Georgia Public Broadcasting characterized Bellringer as an album that "capture[d] the essence of 2022".[9] Bellringer also includes the single "Wurk", which has attracted attention among organized labor advocates and led Parker to be invited to perform at the 2022 AFL–CIO Convention.[9][10]
Parker's music has been described as combining hip hop and neo-soul.[5][11]
In addition to their music, Parker hosts a podcast titled "Waiting on Reparations" on iHeartRadio, alongside fellow Georgia rapper Dope Knife.[12]
Political career
editAfter their political lyrics attracted positive attention from the community, Parker began to become involved in community organizing. From there, they entered the political sphere by serving as a campaign manager for local activist Tommy Valentine, who ran for Athens-Clarke county commissioner in 2017.[8]
At the urging of Athens mayor Kelly Girtz, Parker ran for office personally in 2018, campaigning for the Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner seat.[4] Parker was elected to the seat, and attracted widespread attention after being sworn in on a copy of The Autobiography of Malcolm X.[3][13] They were reelected in 2020, in an unopposed election.[1] During their tenure as commissioner, Parker prioritized racial justice and the reduction of poverty in their district.[4] Parker was also a leading advocate of the 2021 Linnentown Resolution, an effort to make reparations to families who had been displaced in the Linnentown urban renewal project in the 1960s.[8]
Parker announced their resignation from the county commission in August 2022, stating that they had become disillusioned with the commission's limited scope and sought to return to external activism.[1] After their resignation took effect on September 8,[14] Parker moved to Atlanta and joined the Union of Southern Service Workers as a labor organizer.[6][8]
Personal life
editParker identifies as nonbinary and queer.[3][7] They have a son, born in 2021.[8]
Discography
edit- Model Minority (2018)
- Bellringer (2022)
References
edit- ^ a b c Aued, Blake (August 29, 2022). "Commissioner Mariah Parker Announces Resignation; Melissa Link May Run". Flagpole Magazine. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Aued, Blake (March 21, 2023). "Melissa Link Wins Commission District 2 Special Election". Flagpole Magazine. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c Suggs, Ernie (June 7, 2018). "New Athens-Clarke County commissioner draws inspiration from Malcolm X". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f McCabe, Allyson (April 25, 2022). "Rapper-activist Linqua Franqa is on a mission to change both music and politics". NPR. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Forsythe, Dana (July 3, 2018). "COVER STORY: Linqua Franqa on Hip-Hop, Linguistics and Social Activism". Performer. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c Rothacker, Jordan A. (December 31, 2022). "Dr. Mariah Parker, AKA Linqua Franqa, Diagnoses Schools With A Bad Case Of Prison Conditioning". Spin. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Kelly, Kim (October 17, 2022). "Linqua Franqa Is Fighting for a Better World, Onstage and at the Picket Line". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Pratt, Timothy (June 19, 2023). "Mariah Parker's next move". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Biello, Peter (December 29, 2022). "With their latest album 'Bellringer,' hip-hop artist Linqua Franqa captures the essence of 2022". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Lipkin, Sam (April 13, 2022). "Get This Wurk: Linqua Franqa Comes Swinging With Bellringer". Flagpole Magazine. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Smith, Lee Valentine (June 21, 2022). "On every stage, Linqua Franqa's Mariah Parker tells it like it is". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ Berinato, Christopher (April 27, 2022). "Dope KNife, Linqua Franqa bring new work, politically infused hip-hop to Savannah for show". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ Mindock, Clark (June 7, 2018). "Georgia official takes oath of office on Malcolm X autobiography instead of bible". The Independent. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ Aued, Blake (September 13, 2022). "Gov. Brian Kemp Accepts Commissioner Mariah Parker's Resignation". Flagpole Magazine. Retrieved March 13, 2023.