WATCH: Stunning Moment Justin Jones Confronts GOP Rep on TN House Floor For ‘Essentially Saying Justin Is An Uppity Negro’
Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D) confronted a Republican lawmaker ahead of an expulsion vote and accused him of “essentially” calling him “an uppity negro” in remarks before the chamber.
On Thursday, the Tennessee House held a vote to expel Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson — both of whom are Black — over a protest calling for gun reform in the wake of the shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School that killed 6 people. Rep. Gloria Johnson, a 60-year-old white woman who participated in the protest, also faced an expulsion vote.
In the lead-up to that vote, there were several stunning moments, including a jaw-dropping rebuttal from Jones to Republican State Rep. Gino Bulso that was flagged by Huffpost editor Phil Lewis in a riveting live video thread.
Bulso began his remarks by saying, “I have one question for the representative,” and launching into a five-minute digression that did not include a question for Rep. Jones, but did include complaints about the legislator’s conduct at the expulsion debate.
“Look at the disrespect with which he has conducted himself today. He called our speaker a liar. He pointed derisively at our speaker. He insulted each and every one of you, effectively convicting you of being beholden to interest groups rather than voting your conscience,” Bulso said.
Jones responded:
REP. BULSO: Today, ladies and gentlemen, as we are upholding our Constitution, we are protecting the integrity of this body. Let’s vote to expel them. That will send the case back to the voters in Davidson County. And if, after looking at his conduct, they find he should come back. We will welcome him as a representative.
REP. JONES: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn’t hear a question, but while my colleague’s statement were, was eloquent… What he was essentially saying was that “Justin is an uppity Negro. How dare he point at the speaker? And call a lie a lie? How dare he treat. act like he’s your equal? How dare he come before this body and not bow down? That’s what Representative Bulso was saying. And that’s what he told me on the elevator two days ago when he tried to incite violence against me and got in my face and said, “You are a damn disgrace.”.
And I said, Rep. Bulso, Hold on. Let me pull up my phone. Can you say that again? And he cowered and chose not to repeat it because he did not want the world to see what a disgrace he is for Williamson County voters.
The legislature spared Rep. Johnson but expelled Jones and Pearson. That disparity has been flagged by the Tennessee Three and others as a racist double standard. The two expelled lawmakers could potentially be re-appointed within a matter of weeks.
Watch above via Knoxville News Sentinel.
