NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The world watched Nashville Thursday, as the Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two members, Afro-Filipino American Justin Jones and African American Justin Pearson. This was a response to the two men, both twenty-seven year old civil rights activists and recently sworn in as state representatives, who chanted with protesters during an anti-gun violence protest in the state capitol last week after three nine-year old children and three adults were gunned down at a Christian school in Tennessee, Covenant School. Another state representative, Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), a middle-aged white women, chanted along with them, but was not expelled.
“The world saw what happened yesterday,” Rep. Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville) said. “Our two young African-American brothers were unfairly prosecuted.”
“Many of us were fighting back tears, and when we went back into the chamber, many of our tears broke,” said Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis).
Friday morning saw the Tennessee Black Caucus come together and condemn the expulsions.
“Many of us were fighting back tears, and when we went back into the chamber, many of our tears broke,” said Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis). “It was a shame to see some of the smirks, some of the smiles, that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle had.”
The Caucus pointed out the treatment by the House of the two expelled representatives – Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, who are Black, compared to the House’s treatment of Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), who is white and survived an expulsion from the House by one vote.
“It’s not a good look,” Johnson said. “The questioning was definitely pointed to those two young wonderful brilliant men.”
Republican leadership pushed back on the notion, saying race wasn’t a factor.
“All three of us voted for expulsion on every one of them,” House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said, referring to himself plus Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton and Rep. Jeremy Faison. “Even though Representative Johnson wasn’t yelling with a sign or a bullhorn, she came to the well and participated in that behavior, and that was enough for me.”
“I had to shut the House down in order to gain control of it,” Sexton (R-Crossville) said, later. “So, their actions caused a protest, which the Tennessean just confirmed happened on the House floor.”
The Black Caucus called on some middle ground.
“We need more Howard Baker-type Republicans that say the guy on the other side might just be right,” McKenzie said. “We’re right this time. They’re wrong.”
As for the expelled members, Johnson probably put it best. “They’re going to be back.”
The original article can be found here.
