ATLANTA — The Republican-controlled Tennessee state House today voted to expel two Black members in retaliation for joining their constituents’ protests for gun reform in the wake of last week’s tragic school shooting in Memphis.
Fair Fight released the following statement in response to the Tennessee GOP’s shocking ousting of state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson and the dangerous precedent set by today’s vote:
“Public service, at its core, calls on leaders to represent the values of their constituents and prioritize the wellbeing of the communities they were elected to serve—even when doing so is in direct conflict with their own personal best interest. And that is exactly what Tennessee state Representatives Justin Jones, Justin J. Pearson, and Gloria Johnson did last week. These three leaders should be commended for standing with their constituents in calling for action to address the epidemic of gun violence that continues to plague our nation and devastate communities. Instead, their Republican colleagues sought to penalize them via the most extreme action at the legislature’s disposal.
When peaceful protest is met with punitive state retribution, our entire nation suffers. Civil disobedience has long been a cornerstone of our nation’s democracy and conscience—from the Civil Rights era to the 2016 Congressional sit-in led by the late Rep. John Lewis to force a vote on gun control. The expulsion of Reps. Jones and Pearson sets a horrifying and dangerous precedent at a time when threats to our democracy and fundamental freedoms—from the right to vote to bodily autonomy—are already at a fever pitch.
The Fair Fight team applauds the bravery of Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson, and extends both our gratitude and respect for speaking out and uplifting the voices of their communities, no matter the personal cost. We are committed to supporting the Tennessee Three and their communities as they navigate the road ahead, and will continue to stand in solidarity with lawmakers that prioritize duty, democracy, and the lives of their constituents over the politics of fear and white supremacy.”