Turmoil in Tennessee Makes Case for Multiracial Democracy
Justin Jones, one of two Black lawmakers in Tennessee ousted by the Republican majority, was reinstated on Monday to his position in the state House of Representatives by a unanimous vote of the Nashville Metropolitan Council. Jones and fellow Democrat Justin Pearson were both stripped of their seats after they led protests against gun violence in the wake of a mass school shooting in Nashville. Another Democrat, a white representative named Gloria Johnson, survived expulsion by one vote. The three lawmakers, known as the “Tennessee Three,” have faced accusations by Republicans of bringing “disorder and dishonor to the House.” They have countered that Republicans are distracting from their inaction over ongoing gun violence.
Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) Votes, and DaMareo Cooper, co-executive director of Center for Popular Democracy Action, spoke with YES! Racial Justice Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on Rising Up With Sonali about why the situation in Tennessee makes the case for building a multiracial democracy.
The views expressed here and on Rising Up With Sonali do not necessarily reflect the opinion of YES! Media.
Inspiration in Your Inbox
Sign up to receive email updates from YES!
