Expelled Democrat Justin Jones Says Republican Tennessee Speaker’s ‘White Supremacist System’ Won’t Stop Them ‘Resurrecting Reconstruction’
Former Tennessee state representative Justin Jones told MSNBC’s Al Sharpton Sunday that a “third Reconstruction” is underway in Tennessee, and that the “racist” vote to eject him from the House by Republican Speaker Cameron Sexton’s “White supremacist system” won’t work to stop it.
On the latest Politics Nation, Sharpton asked Jones about the vote on the Democrats now referred to as the Tennessee Three, which saw Jones and colleague Justin Pearson expelled from Tennessee’s State House of Representatives, but not Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is White.
Johnson was on with Sharpton earlier in the show and said that racist comments happen in the Tennessee House “regularly.” Sharpton asked Jones for his reaction and the significance of having “a White colleague in this fight.”
Jones replied they are building a “fusion” movement, and said “We’re in the midst of a third Reconstruction here in Tennessee.”
“But what it means is that this White supremacist system being led by Speaker Cameron Sexton is an attempt to divide and conquer us,” he said. “But in reality, you see we, the Tennessee Three, we continue to stand together.”
He said that, “though their vote was racist, though their vote was to expel the two youngest Black lawmakers, their attack on democracy hurts all of us, whether you’re Black, brown, or White.”
On Sunday’s Meet the Press, the two former lawmakers told Chuck Todd that Sexton “runs the Capitol like it’s his private palace” and that there’s “no democracy in Tennessee.”
On CNN Saturday, Bakari Sellers pointed the finger at Donald Trump for the actions against the Tennessee Three.
SHARPTON: What’s your reaction to what you just heard, Mr. Jones, and how significant was it to have a White colleague in this fight? One of the things that I spoke to her about, and you and I have talked by phone, is how this is interracial and intergenerational, this fight that has rallied around what has happened in Tennessee.
JONES: Definitely. I mean, we are building a multiracial fusion movement. We’re in the midst of a third Reconstruction here in Tennessee that hopefully will have national implications.
But what it means is that this White supremacist system being led by Speaker Cameron Sexton is an attempt to divide and conquer us. But in reality, you see we the Tennessee Three, we continue to stand together. Because this, though their vote was racist, though their vote was to expel the two youngest Black lawmakers, their attack on democracy hurts all of us, whether you’re Black, brown, or White. It is an assault on all of us.
And so that’s the thing, is that when we were expelled, there were thousands of people from all across the state, from rural counties and urban counties, Black and White, of all ages, standing at that Capitol saying we will not allow this to happen in the comfort of silence, but our democracy is too important to let them pass this extreme measure that’s going to have set a precedent for the future and harm us all.
And so having Sister Gloria there, she’s always stood with us. When I was an activist fighting in 2020, sleeping outside that Capitol, Gloria was of the few representative, come stand with us. And she stood with us on that House floor that day. We stood, to protest the lives of our young people who are being terrorized by these weapons of war on our streets, calling for an end to this proliferation of guns in a state that seems to worship guns over the lives of these babies.
And so we stand with Sister Gloria. We stand united, and no type of system of divide and conquer will work anymore. Because we, the people are awakened. And like I said, we are resurrecting a Reconstruction right here in Nashville. And it’s not stopping.
Watch the clip above via MSNBC.
