Above Representative Gloria Johnson Left, Representative Justin Jones Center, and Representative Justin Pearson Right.
The story of the two righteous Justins and Sista Johnson is a vital moment in American Society as their story both exposes the all too real ugly truth of racism in America. While at the same time providing America with an opportunity for change. Many readers know that the Tennesse State Legislature expulsion of Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were kicked out of their elected seats because they were Black. While at the same time, a 60-year-old White female colleague was allowed by the skin of her teeth to hold on to her position by one meager vote. Rep. Gloria Johnson, who stood with the two Justins, is a former teacher from Knoxville who lost a student to gun violence and witnessed the trauma of gun-related incidents on children who attended Central High School in Knoxville, Tennesse, during a shooting at the high school she worked at on August 21, 2008. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/07/kelsea-ballerini-gloria-johnson-refer-to-2008-central-high-shooting/70088808007/
Above is a picture of the Tennesse State Legislature 2022
The Tennesse State Legislature found the peaceful protest provided by the Tennesse Three Representative Justin Jones, Representative Justin Pearson, and Representative Gloria Johnson, along with the Tennesse legislatures constituents, regarding demanding a ban on assault weapons on April 6, 2023. An estimated 1,000 students, parents, and others, galvanized by the shooting deaths, crammed House and Senate galleries. After being removed by state troopers, they re-grouped and filled the hallway outside the chambers, continuing to chant slogans and urging lawmakers to banish assault weapons.
The protest was due to the recent murder of six citizens, which include three children. All were murdered because the assailant, Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old who had attended the school and was under care for a known emotional disorder, was legally allowed to obtain the weapons of her choice to carry out his plans against six innocent people. Audrey Hale lived as a transgender male who preferred to go by the name Aiden on her social media pages—had legally purchased seven guns from various local stores before taking six lives.
Above Shooter Audrey, also known as Aiden Hale
On a side note, it is worth mentioning that the Tennesse State Legislature was more riled up about Representative Pearson's wearing an African dashiki on the house floor and his hair naturally instead of the ongoing gun violence being executed on citizens. The continuous straddle hold of systematic racism towards Black Representatives across America shows the hindering variables that block righteous Black representatives who have the where with all to stand for what's right to be blocked temporarily.
Representative Justin Pearson with his fiancee' Oceana Gilliam and Representative Johnson
And what's refreshing about the two Justin's stand is that they reflect the tradition of what worked for the good of the entire country whenever righteous Black men and women pushed back against the establishment. Case and point Frederick Douglas. Looking back, the Union Army was losing to the Confederate Army. Frederick Douglas told Lincoln that if he were going to win this war, he would have to allow Black men, free and enslaved, to take up arms and fight with the Union against the Confederates, who, along with N.J., wanted to keep chattel slavery legal.
What's American Chattel Slavery:
Chattel slavery deems all enslaved persons of color to be enslaved for life, including their children, simply because of the color of their skin. And deeming said person an animal to be used and abused at will. They were utilizing the lie to justify the many years of mistreatment, murder, and rape, and breaking up African and 1st Nation families to be expected or the right thing to do to feel ok or justify their sins. Early Americans' excuse to deem a person an animal because of the color of their skin is erroneous. And has no factual science behind the reason. This is against the laws of God and man because man was made in the image of God and not monkeys. (Like the b.s. you would see at the Museum of Natural History in New York.) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/arts/design/roosevelt-statue-to-be-removed-from-museum-of-natural-history.html
Above 1867 Reconstruction Era Radical Republicans all murdered except for Representative White. Who continued to advocate radically for Black citizens' rights with the assistance of A.M.E, and A.M.E. Zion Black church. "Reconstruction marked the transition from slavery to freedom and citizenship for nearly four million enslaved African Americans and the start of an unprecedented experiment in biracial democracy. It saw the enactment of 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, which vastly expanded the constitutional protection of citizenship rights for all Americans." Thanks to these Black men of integrity and courage https://www.thecolumbiastar.com/articles/the-reconstruction-era-history-and-public-memory-symposium/
Nevertheless, the entire dynamic changed once President Abraham Lincoln allowed Black enslaved and Black freed citizens to participate in the Civil War. And the North won the war. Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln gave a portion of the monetary resources that were supposed to go to newly established Black citizens for reparations to southern Confederate plantation owners. Lincoln later regretted compensating plantation owners with said money once being repeatedly confronted by Black freed men and women like Douglas and White and Black radical Republicans. History shows us that once Lincoln announced the allocation of reparations be enforced for those born in slavery and their descendants to be provided with the outlined agreed reparations. Lincoln was shot and murdered, much like in the scenario that followed the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King. Who once successfully assisted with enforcing Civil Rights laws that were originally established in 1866, was murdered because Dr. King announced the Poor People's Campaign at a staff retreat for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in November 1967. That would lead to the release of owed reparations to Black citizens. Plus, economic relief to poor American citizens. Unfortunately, King was murdered on April 4, 1968. And shortly after, the legal fund mission statement that focused on Black citizens switched to funding Mexicans' agenda with the help of Mr. Goldberg, former NAACP Legal Fund Director.
The assassination of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, At The Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennesse - Less we forget. https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/assassination-martin-luther-king-jr
Hence, in American history, we witness the relevancy of Christian Black Leadership's impact on addressing issues from which all American citizens can advance. Unlike Bloomberg's New Economy Plan.
Representative Pearson with fiance Oceana Gilliam
As of Thursday, April 13, 2023, before Republican lawmakers voted to expel all three less than two weeks ago, the Tennesse Three are all actively holding their offices. Representative Justin Jones was reinstated Monday, April 10, 2023. And Representative Justin Pearson was reinstated Thursday, April 13, 2023. The reappointment of the two Justins represents the possibility of real American crisis issues being seriously addressed because suitable political candidates are in place. The Two Justins and Representative Johnson illustrate the importance of why Black Christian men and women, along with non-racist Americans, are essential to making America a better place to live because the two Justins echo the past example of integrity and forthrightness of people who survived chattel slavery and 1st nation genocide and if allowed to hold office can make good change happen. As of today, the Tennesse State Legislature is quietly moving bills that will have the ability to ban assault rifles. Per a report by D.J. Envy on The Breakfast Club 105.1 FM on April 11, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6EtwT3tu08
In an NBC news report, Pearson spoke out against gun violence immediately after being sworn in. Pearson said, "God needed to reignite this movement to end gun violence," Pearson told a crowd of supporters. "God needed to catalyze the conversation about anti-democratic behavior of the Republican party in Tennessee." After Wednesday's reinstatement vote, Pearson clapped back and said: "Nashville thought they could silence democracy. But they didn't know the Shelby County Commission ... and its fearless leaders." He added that he had a "message for all those people in Nashville who voted to expel us": "You can't expel hope. You can't expel justice." https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ousted-tennessee-lawmaker-pearson-sworn-back-state-legislature-rcna79509
Representative Justin Jones (R) graduated from Fisk University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While at the Nashville HBCU, Jones received the John R. Lewis Scholarship for social activism. Completing Master of Theological Studies at Vanderbilt University. Representative Justin Pearson graduated from Mitchell High School as Valedictorian and Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, in 2017, majoring in Government & Legal Studies and Education Studies. Justin J. is President and founder of Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) and co-founder of Memphis Community Against the Pipeline, which is a Black-led environmental justice organization that successfully defeated a multi-billion dollar company's crude oil pipeline project that would have poisoned Memphis’s drinking water and stolen land from the community.
Thanks for reading. And remember, "No Justins, No Peace."
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