Brina Ratangee
Justin Jones marches alongside clergy, civil rights leaders and community members en route to the capitol, as photographed on April 10, 2023. (Hustler Staff/Brina Ratangee)
Vanderbilt students working with March for Our Lives co-organized a march and rally on April 10 to support Vanderbilt Divinity student Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) as he was reinstated to the Tennessee House of Representatives after being expelled on April 7.
Another rally organized by MFOL student activists will be held at the capitol in support of Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) tomorrow morning after he was reinstated earlier this afternoon.
Jones marched with clergy members, civil rights leaders and other community members, including Metro Nashville Council member Zulfat Suara, along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from the Historic Metro Courthouse to the Tennessee State Capitol after the vote.
“I want to thank you all for being here today, particularly the young people who are the heartbeat of this movement. It was students walking out of classes and taking to this capitol that led us into the well that day calling for common sense gun laws,” Jones said after being sworn in on the capitol steps by a local judge.
MFOL Judicial Advocacy Associate Brynn Jones, a junior, and MFOL National Organizer Ezri Tyler, a first-year, said they appreciate the opportunity to mobilize in support of Jones and Pearson.
“[April 10] was a powerful show of the strength of this coalition and the movement the Republicans accidentally added fuel to, we are honored to be a part of it,” Tyler said.
Reinstatement votes
The Nashville Metropolitan Council session began at 4:30 p.m. CDT on April 10. The council members unanimously voted (36-0) Jones back into his seat within 20 minutes. In a session beginning at 1:30 p.m. CDT on April 12, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners similarly voted to reinstate Pearson in a unanimous decision (7-0).
Jones and Pearson will serve as interim representatives until a special election is held to permanently fill their positions, which they are eligible to run for. They cannot be expelled again for the same offense.
In a state where approximately 78% of residents are white and 17% are Black, Districts 52 and 86, represented by Jones and Pearson, respectively, are among the most diverse. Jones’ District 52 is 31% Black, while Pearson’s District 86 is 61% Black. Each district contains around 70,000 constituents.
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