Just 30 minutes after Thursday’s contentious expulsion proceedings in Tennessee ended, more than 100 state and federal Black lawmakers assembled in an emergency Zoom meeting to offer support to their ousted colleagues. The move taken by the Congressional Black Caucus, the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators followed an unprecedented day for the state’s Republican-dominated House of Representatives, whose members voted to unseat Democratic Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones — two of Tennessee’s youngest Black lawmakers. Rep. Gloria Johnson (D), a former teacher who is White, narrowly kept her seat after...
