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Dear John,
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This past March, in a now-infamous moment
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, Tennessee House of Representative members Rep. Justin Jones and Rep.
Justin Pearson were expelled for participating in protests against gun
violence and assault weapons after the
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murder of six people at the Covenant Christian School in Nashville
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.
Gordon Goodwin, Senior Director of Race Forward's Government Alliance on
Race and Equity
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, reflects on the events of that day which has been referred to by The
Washington Post as a "historic act of partisan retaliation"
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.
"The expulsions of Rep. Jones and Rep. Pearson, both of whom are Black
men under the age of 30 and possess community organizing experience,
occurred after they, along with Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white female
legislator who was not expelled, led a gun control protest on the
chamber floor. Rep. Johnson's actions, while seen as wholly complicit,
were viewed as being less disruptive and not deserving of official
sanction. When asked why she was not sanctioned, she responded, ‘It
might have to do with the color of my skin.'
"Limiting freedom and reducing the influence of Black representation is
what this is about. The "supermajority" in both houses of the Tennessee
State Legislature is a direct result of Republican lawmakers redrawing
precincts and districts in ways that make it more difficult for
democratic and independent candidates to be elected. The expulsion of
these lawmakers is about reminding communities of color they do not
matter when it comes to electing their representatives. Also, the
passage of voting laws intended to invalidate, intimidate, and suppress
voter turnout further reduces the likelihood of electing candidates who
represent communities of color.
"Let us be thankful for the pathways of redress that are built into our
government structures. Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson
have both returned to their legislative posts
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by actions that were bravely undertaken by local elected officials using
government process. We should not be surprised if we see those pathways
of redress be legislatively suppressed soon, as they worked to right a
wrong this time. If the rules don't preserve the status quo - then the
rules will be changed. Those of us that believe America includes all of
us, will still be here – testing the limits and changing the game.
"The powerful lesson for us is that yet again, power concedes nothing
without a demand. Organizing for change requires that those of us
working within government work with and to support the people we serve.
It also requires we hold government at all levels (local, state, and
federal) accountable to live up to its commitment to respect and serve
all of us — and especially those communities that have been historically
excluded. The path to a multiracial democracy begins here; with the
effort to create a racially equitable government."
This work requires all of us. We invite you to join our racial equity
work by taking part in our Racial Justice Training series
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, a collection of interactive sessions for those who wish to sharpen
their skills and strategies to understand and address structural racism
and advance racial equity.
Register Now
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Check out our latest below!
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[Register] HEAL Presents, "Our Freedom To Learn"
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On May 17th, H.E.A.L (Honest Education Action and Leadership) Together
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, will be hosting an online event called "Our Freedom To Learn"
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to launch the newly expanded "Organizing & Narrative Toolkit 2.0", full
of resources to support leaders fighting to advance equity in their
schools.
This event will take place on the 69th anniversary of the landmark
Supreme Court Decision "Brown v. Board of Education." Join us as we work
to support the continued growth of this movement to defend our
communities' public schools and lay the groundwork to make public
education serve as the foundation of a just, multiracial democracy.
Register Now
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Transformative Justice Infrastructure Fellowship
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The Government Alliance on Race and Equity
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, PolicyLink
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, and the Communities First Infrastructure Alliance
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are excited to announce the 2023 Transformative Justice Infrastructure
Fellowship
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for public sector leaders who play strategic roles in embedding
equitable approaches to local infrastructure investments.
The fellowship will support a cohort of 19 infrastructure-related public
sector leaders who embody practices of radical transformation in the
transportation, water, housing, planning, and environmental sectors.
Read More
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In solidarity,
Team Race Forward
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