More than a thousand people rallied for Justin Pearson, a Democratic state representative running for Congress, in the wake of four fatal shootings by members of the Memphis Safe Task Force over the last two months. The event took place at New Direction Christian Church in the city's Hickory Hill neighborhood, drawing crowds to support Pearson's bid in the ninth congressional district's Democratic primary.
"Today we are in the fight of our lives to make this district, our state, and this nation better for ourselves and for those who will come after us," Pearson said. He added, "If God be for us, it doesn't matter if every white supremacist in the Tennessee General Assembly is against us."
Progressive Leaders Join Rally
Progressive US representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania joined Pearson at the rally. Pressley praised Pearson's consistent advocacy: "Justin has shown up in the quiet moments for the neighbor in need. He shows up in the consequential moments when our rights are on the line. He shows up when the nation is watching Tennessee."
Pearson was one of two legislators expelled from the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly in April 2023 after protesting the lack of gun control legislation following the Covenant school shooting in Nashville. The Shelby County commission subsequently reappointed him to his seat.
Redistricting and Voting Rights
Tennessee legislators redrew the state's congressional districts in May after the Supreme Court's Callais ruling, which effectively dismantled the Voting Rights Act. The redistricting carved the ninth district, the state's only Democratic district covering a city with 400,000 Black residents, into three, none of which has a Democratic voting majority. Lee likened the redistricting to the Jim Crow South, saying, "Memphis, I hope you know that you're at the epicenter of a storm that's brewing all over this country."
Pearson, 31, has emerged as a progressive firebrand in his short tenure. He had planned to challenge Steve Cohen, Memphis' long-serving Democratic congressman, before the redistricting, but Cohen retired rather than run in the altered district. Pearson hopes to capitalize on the volunteer army and vigor for progressive politics in Democratic primaries, as seen in recent victories by democratic socialists in New York and elsewhere.
Ocasio-Cortez Links to Civil Rights Legacy
Ocasio-Cortez referenced the writing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his ambitions for the country before his assassination in Memphis, saying the speed of redistricting was no accident. "We are here to pick up where King left off 50 years ago," she said. She also highlighted environmental damage from the xAI data center on Memphis' south side and the wealth of Elon Musk, recurring topics at the rally. "Long before Justin ever stood on the floor of the Tennessee House fighting for dignity, he grew up in Southwest Memphis, the most polluted area of the city," Ocasio-Cortez said, noting Pearson's environmental activism that forced two billion-dollar corporations to abandon their projects.
Task Force Shootings Spark Outrage
Hickory Hill has seen disproportionate attention from state and federal law enforcement agencies in the police surge. Teams of state, federal, and local police officers often stage for traffic stops and arrests near New Direction Church. The families of some of those killed by task force agents joined Pearson on stage. Most recently, the death of Tywin Johnson, 20, a musician with no criminal record, has sparked reaction. Johnson was killed by National Guard soldiers responding to a report of a robbery suspect downtown. While taskforce spokespeople said Johnson was armed, they have refused to elaborate on the circumstances or release video footage from a Memphis police street camera above the shooting location. The soldiers were not wearing body cameras.
Pearson said the deaths were predictable once Donald Trump ordered federal agents into the city last year. "Our worst fears have been realized," he said. "Let us remember these beloved families whose lives have been forever altered."
Pearson faces M LaTroy A-Williams, London Lamar, and Jim Torino in the Democratic primary on 6 August.
