According to the Equal Justice Initiative, 236 Black people were lynched in Tennessee between 1877 and 1950. Those murdered by racial terror included journalists, business leaders, and teachers. These Black people were lynched because they were activists who stood up to the virulent racism that defines our nation. While Justin Jones and Justin Pearce did not find ropes around their necks, their political lynching is shameful but not unusual in a state where elected officials hark back to the days of lynching, where racists have killed 236 Black people. May the treatment of the Justins inspire us to resist racism. One of the signs outside the capitol said it succinctly. “No Justins, no peace”
A handful of Senate Democrats, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a civil-rights investigation into the expulsion of two Black Tennessee lawmakers.
Tina Pearce shares a dance with her new husband, Justin Pearce, as her mother, Linda Tuller, looks on. Photo courtesy of Manatee Springs. Tina Pearce was
representative, justin pearce, down in memphis and shelby county if the officials they re choos to do, that they have no scheduled their initia meeting. so we re still waiting on that but as for what comes next after that the governor will set a date for a special election that will occur sometime likel in the summer. at which point both of the lawmakers would be eligible to run for reelected in, if the were elected they would be bac here at the state house. earlier today austin jones was speaker to his supporters abou what he wants to tell them i this moment of limbo, i want t play a little bit of what he had to say what i will say to the youn people of america is that if w were not powerful, they woul not try so hard to stop. yes i was the youngest black lawmaker in tennessee, formally, and now i m a lawmaker in exil because they were afraid of ou generational shift coming to america. the reckoning that our generation says that we don