SPLC Action Fund Endorses Tennessee State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson

JACKSON, Miss. – The SPLC Action Fund today endorsed Tennessee State Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson in their upcoming special elections after they were wrongfully expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives earlier this year for protesting Republicans’ inaction on gun violence.

“Reps. Jones and Pearson are the exact kinds of leaders that our state legislatures need. They were representing their communities when they used their platforms to amplify the cries for change from constituents in their districts and across the state of Tennessee,” said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the SPLC Action Fund. “We link arms with them in their efforts to speak truth to power and are proud to endorse them in their efforts to keep their seats.”

The attempt to silence Reps. Jones and Pearson by their expulsion is part of a documented effort across the South of Republican governors and majorities in state legislatures finding new and increasingly shameful ways to abandon democracy and lower the moral floor.

The SPLC Action Fund is focused on lifting up communities of color, particularly in the Deep South, who face systemic oppression, poverty and structural racism. To overcome these injustices, the organization is committed to reimagining the political, economic and social systems that sustain them to create a world where all people can thrive.  

In pursuit of this bold agenda, the SPLC Action Fund supports candidates who share its commitment to addressing the deep inequities that plague our nation.