MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One third of the "Tennessee three" stopped by the ABC24 newsroom, fresh off of winning the District 86 Democratic Primary Election on June 15.
Justin J. Pearson is running for his state seat again after Republican colleagues expelled him and fellow state Representative Justin Jones on April 6, 2023 for their participation in a protest against gun control in the state capitol.
What follows is a transcript of an interview with the District 86 representative, featuring political analyst Otis Sanford and Reverend of The New Olivet Worship Center Kenneth Whalum:
Richard Ransom: How many times have people gone to the polls to vote for Justin J. Pearson?
Justin Pearson: Three times and one more to go.
Otis Sanford: Congratulations. You got 94 pewrcent of the vote. How do you respond to the criticimsm that I’ve gotten from people who say your politics is more about confrontation than it is about reconciliation? How do you respond?
Justin Pearson: I am grateful to the people of district 86 who showed up for early voting who showed up to make sure that we restore representation that was unjustly taken by the Tennessee Republican majority who abuse power and who are more focused on changing our democracy to their own mobocracy.
Our politics is not one that is confrontational for those who want justice, for people who want to see those pushed to the periphery elevated, for people who want to see an end to poverty, for people who want to see the end of gun violence.
Its not confrontational. it’s one that says we have to center the folks who have been kicked out of the conversation for far too long
What we are seeing confrontational for running up against the status quo that doesn’t want to change, and the people of the republican party who have built their entire careers on how can they oppress people.
\how can they oppress Black folk, how can they oppress queer folk and poor folk. How can they oppress people.
And when you have a district that is saying “no more - we’ve had enough of that. We’ve had enough of being told that we’re the paths of least resistance. We’ve had enough of being told our air quality doesn’t matter. We’ve had enough of being told that our children don’t matter.
They say “well you’re just being too confrontational,” but when we weren’t being confrontational, how did that serve us?
How have you served us? And they haven’t. And it’s time for that to change.
Rev. Kenneth Whalum: As an elder myself in the political system of this city, I just want to say that I’m proud of you, man. I am proud of you. That’s something that the old heads when I came on the scene didn’t do to me, they kind of stood off from me and said ‘he’s too brash., he’s too whatever’
And that’s the question I want to ask you: On the day in question, when the blow up occurred, put you and the others out
I saw, as I watched the video, representatives Joe Towns, and Karen camper get so upset with you and your colleagues
In fact, I saw Joe Towns literally put his hand on you and Karen was pushing you out of the door. I’m assuming they have apologized for that, but I want to ask you.
I think it’s symbolic of what you brought up earlier — status quo vs. the new.
How do you respond to people, not just GOP, but established Black Democrats who think your ways are too unconventional?
Justin Pearson: I love my Black people. It is because of Black women and Black leaders in particular that I am here. If it hadn’t been for my grandmother and folks in the civil rights struggle ... we wouldn’t be where we are, and so I give immense credence to Karen Camper who have made it to leader and things like that.
But we have to be honest about where we are, and that we didn’t get here because there were mistakes being made. We got here because people have designed a predicament in the situation that is very dangerous for us.
And too many people have gotten approximate to those who are in power rather than lifting up the voices of their communities and their constituencies.
I honestly think if more people watch what they’re representatives were or were not doing at the state legislature, they wouldn’t be sending them back
Honestly, I think you’d be surprised how many people are quiet; don’t speak on the house floor, pass more legislation that incarcerates more Black people because that’s the only types of bills that the Republican party allows us to pass.
But I’d rather not pass anything and keep to the principles of what we say we believe; which is injustice, which is unfairness, which is in the elevating off all people
Because when we elevate those who have been most marginalized, everybody benefits.
I’d rather stay true to those principles that the folks in Boxtown, that the folks in Westwood and Woodstock sent us to represent and to say than to try to get proximity to the folks who I know in their hearts and in the statements that they put out, do not wish us well.
And so for our Black leaders who have been in politics for a while — for our young leaders as well who too often are being co-opted into silence and silent complicity that has sacrificed us and our communities, now is our moment in time to do different.
You got a new day. It’s time to operate differently, and it’s time to operate with the full faith and belief that the status quo needs changing and that we have a responsibility and an opportunity to change it, come what may.
Richard Ransom: Look I’ve been covering politics for a long time. Otis has as well. And I guess I was impressed with the polished way you ran this campaign considering it’s a state representative seat and a special election at that.
Let’s show the folks the ad that was running on television stations just before the this week
...
I’ve never seen an ad like that for a state rep race for a special election.
Some might see that ad, in fact some have seen that ad, and say “this guy’s got higher goals — higher ambitions.”
And we’ve asked you, do you have plans to run for congress?
And you said "no I don’t, I am fully committed to this seat."
Justin Pearson: District 86 state representative.
Richard Ransom: Let me show you some numbers, ok — District 86 has a population of 67,000 people. Roughly how many voted for you in the special election?
Justin Pearson: About 2,209
Richard Ransom: About 2,000 people, ok. The congressional district 9 population is 767,682. Memphis viewing area 1,300,000, so in order to buy those ads, you had to pay the rate to reach an awful lot of people. A lot more than you needed for district 86.
Can you tell me unequivocally, that you have no designs no interest at all in running for the district 9 seat?
Because what a lot of people think. What I’m hearing is that "carpe diem — seize the day. Now’s the time. You’d be a fool to wait."
Justin Pearson: That’s interesting. I’d be a fool to wait for district 9 and they said you’re a fool to run having never been in office before when we first ran for state representative.
Look, we want to serve district 86. It’s the community where I was born, where I was raised. The people who have supported me. And our job and our goal is to do everything we can to improve our district which has some of the most pollution; some of the highest levels of crime, some of the highest levels of disinvestment that we have seen in our city and in our county.
And now is the time for us to “seize the day” of working in the state legislature which is eroding our democracy; which is hurting our communities, to do something about that.
Richard Ransom: With all due respect though, that wasn’t my question. Can you say unequivocally that you have no designs or interest in the district 9 seat?
Justin Pearson: I have no desires or interests in the district 9 seat. I have all interest in the district 86 seat, though.
Richard Ransom: You will not be a candidate for 2024?
Justin Pearson: I will not be a candidate for 2024.
Otis Sanford: One more question, I think you mentioned off-air that you might go to Nashville and help the other Justin because he does have a named Republican candidate in that general election.
A lot of people have asked “Justin Pearson has such a great voice right now. Are you planning to get involved in the city mayor’s race in terms of supporting someone, speaking out for someone because let’s be honest, if you did, it would give that person a big boost.
Justin Pearson: At this point, we haven’t decided to endorse anybody for city mayor. Obviously, this is an extremely important position and role. What I do know is whoever is running for city mayor, if they‘re not talking about poverty, I won’t be casting my vote for them. If they’re coming out of obscurity, I won’t be casting my vote for them.
We need folks who have been proximate to poor folks. We need folks that have been proximate to the issues our city has and that matters to be in the office of mayor.
Otis Sanford: So it’ll be a matter of people that you won’t support as oppose to people that you might support if they’re not talking about your issues.
Justin Pearson: Exactly, and that’s what I encourage everyone to do. What are the issues that matter to you? And where are the people that you’re looking at been?
And if they haven’t been around fighting pipelines. If they haven’t been around fighting for our democracy, then they’re probably not the people that need to be serving us right now.