"The Tennessee Three" concerns how targeted members of the Tennessee legislature were able to hold power accountable. They stayed principled and they effectively challenged the authorities that challenged them. They showed how to build communities of action to respond to racial hatred, and to strengthen democratic institutions.
The three members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and Gloria Johnson, joined hundreds of their constituents in a protest following a school shooting in Nashville. Three nine-year-old children and three adults were murdered. The constituents were protesting the inaction on gun violence and gun reform laws.
The two black legislators, Rep. Jones and Rep. Pearson, were expelled, pushed out of the halls of power, denied the right to fight for change, and denied their constituent's right to representation. The constituents of the three legislators named them "The Tennessee Three" in recognition of the West Memphis Three, also known as "The Tennessee Three" whose questionable murder convictions three decades ago continue to expose flaws in the criminal justice system.
On April 6, 2023, Jones and Pearson were expelled. The Nashville Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Jones on April 10, and two days later, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to reinstate Pearson. Both legislators won their respective special elections to serve the remainder of their terms.
The attempt to silence lawmakers strikes at the heart of democracy. As former President Obama tweeted, "No elected official should lose their job simply for raising their voice--especially when they're doing it on behalf of our children. Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it won't lead to progress."