Indiana Black Legislative Caucus comment on reinstatement of two African American Tennessee lawmakers

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-East Chicago), chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) issued the following statement regarding Tennessee State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who were reinstated after being expelled from their chamber for taking part in a gun reform rally on the House floor: 

“What we're seeing in Tennessee ought to be a wakeup call for all Americans. Standing up for what we believe in is not just a cornerstone of being a public servant, it's a cornerstone of our collective democracy. The expulsion of Reps. Jones and Pearson – yet not their white colleague who also participated in the rally – represents the growing tide of racism and partisanship in politics. While these issues have always existed, to see them be so clearly used to silence African American lawmakers in 2023 is shocking. 

“The peaceful protest on the House floor of the Tennessee Statehouse came just weeks after a deadly mass shooting at a Nashville elementary school. At a time when African Americans throughout the country are 10 times more likely than whites to be a victim of gun violence, the topic becomes a Civil Rights issue. By partaking in the rally, these representatives were not only practicing their First Amendment rights, they were standing with their communities in the wake of senseless violence. 

“The IBLC stands with Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, just as we stand with every state lawmaker simply trying to do right by their constituents and communities. It is also important to point out that the will of the voters whom elected the two representatives ultimately won out, as it should.”