The Memphis Urban League Statement

This week, the citizens of the State of Tennessee witnessed political action that is in fact an assault on our democracy and has taken our state back decades by the removal of State Representatives advocating for gun safety.

As an organization focused on helping to give voice to those in our community who are underrepresented and disenfranchised, the Memphis Urban League is both shocked and saddened by the expulsion of a lawmaker who was elected to stand up and fight for the good people of Memphis.

These calculated and unprecedented actions are a continuation of efforts by a Republican-dominated legislature to ignore the rights of many and turn their back on the issues which continue to plague our state. Common-sense gun legislation is in order which protects our families and children.

The citizens of Tennessee are awakened by the fact that their voices are not heard by the very people who they elected to represent them, and they will not stand by as their lives and their votes are taken for granted.

We support Representatives and other elected officials speaking out for the passage of gun safety legislation and call for the reversal of the expulsions.

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE AND TENNESSEE AFFILIATES CONDEMN EXPULSION OF BLACK TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS, URGE PASSAGE OF COMMON-SENSE GUN SAFETY MEASURES

WASHINGTON, D.C and TENNESEE (April 8, 2023) – Today, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial, Knoxville Area Urban League President and CEO Charles Lomax, Ph.D, Memphis Urban League President and CEO Tonja Fifer, Urban League of Middle Tennessee President and CEO Clifton Harris, and Urban League of Greater Chattanooga President and CEO Candy Johnson, condemned the expulsion of Tennessee Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two Black Tennessee state legislators, urge the House to reverse the move and focus on passing sensible gun safety measures:

“Earlier this week, Republican lawmakers have set a dangerous precedent in Tennessee, proving what we have known all along: the safety of their constituents is not their top priority. The bold and brazen attempt to silence their colleagues with an antiquated House rule and comparing their advocacy to the January 6th insurrection shows that the majority will stop at nothing to maintain their status quo and their increasing willingness to silence their counterparts. These methods represent a clear and present danger to the state of our democracy.

“Nearly a week ago, another school was plagued by another mass shooting, claiming the lives of six people. Another community, devastated. Families, destroyed. And instead of focusing on finding solutions to the growing threat of gun violence, the Republican majority has decided to reprimand their colleagues and expel them. When are we going to focus on the real issues? They are more concerned with rebuking Democrats for protesting rather than focusing on ways to prevent more school shootings.

“Many important reforms in this country have originated from protests against established practices. To punish these men for exercising their constitutional right to free speech is not only unjustifiable, but also unamerican. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives was successful in removing two of their colleagues, not only disenfranchising over 200,000 Tennesseans and left them without proper representation.

“On behalf of our 92 affiliates and the Urban League movement, we stand with Reps. Pearson and Jones and other leaders in their continued fight for sensible gun safety measures and call on their Republican colleagues to end this, restore the fate of your constituents so that we can get back to fighting for real change.”