The City of Kannapolis City Council honored Mrs. Corine L. Cannon for her contributions to the community with a resolution during a recent meeting. The resolution is to seek the support of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to designate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue Bridge in honor of Mrs. Cannon. NCDOT is responsible for the naming of bridges, highways and interstates in the state. The bridge would remain as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue Bridge but it would be given honorary designation status for Mrs. Corine Cannon and a sign would be placed near the bridge with her name.
Mrs. Cannon is a beloved member of the community. Born in 1919, she has served in numerous activist and volunteer positions in social, political, economic and religious organizations in Kannapolis and Cabarrus County. She was a charter member of Covenant United Presbyterian Church in 1958 and served in many roles in the church including serving as a delegate to the Presbyterian Women’s National Meeting. Now at 106, she still teaches a Bible Study every Tuesday at her assisted living facility with one of the first questions she asks you – “Do you know where you are going? I’m going to heaven”. She has been a member of the NAACP, Kannapolis Historical Club and the Fisher Town-Princeton Park Community Organization.
In 1963 she made history as the first African American woman employed in the production process at Cannon Mills. This was a trailblazing achievement that opened doors for thousands of women of color in the textile industry.
“If someone couldn’t speak for themselves then it was my job to speak for them,” Mrs. Cannon commented. “I have been here thru so many changes in Kannapolis. I worked with the committee to start the City and would have dinner every week with our first mayor, Bachman Brown and his wife and we would talk about things we needed to do to help Kannapolis.”
She is the proud mother of seven children, 21 grandchildren, 28 great grandchildren and 10 great-great grandchildren.
“She brought up her family to be passionate about involvement in their community. You never knew who was going to be around her kitchen table. I would walk in after school and there would be Jesse Helms and Harvey Gantt or others. They came to speak with her about what was important in the community or what was needed. It was quite the learning experience for me and my cousins. She is still going and we are still learning from her,” said Sylvester L. Fleming, Jr., one of her grandchildren.
The MLK bridge is in the process of being reconstructed by the state with completion expected in 2027.