The day after two young Black Tennessee state lawmakers were expelled last year by majority white male Republicans, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Nashville on a whim to condemn the ousters in a non-scripted fiery speech.
It was a remarkable move for a sitting vice president to engage in such state-level controversy.
Reps. Justin J. Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson were brought up on expulsion charges in the state House of Representatives after joining anti-gun violence protesters in the state Capitol building following a deadly school shooting that took the lives of three 9-year-old students and three faculty members.
Ultimately, Pearson and Jones — newly elected 20-something lawmakers at the time — were expelled. Johnson, a white woman, survived the vote to retain her seat. Pearson and Jones were later reinstated in their respective special elections.
“The vice president coming to Tennessee on April 7, 2023, was one of the most pivotal moments in our fight for justice in Tennessee in decades,” said Rep. Pearson, reflecting on Harris’ impromptu visit to Fisk University.
The vice presidential visit was a show of national solidarity for not just Pearson and Jones but also the broader multiracial coalition of anti-gun violence and pro-social justice young voters throughout the state.
He told theGrio, “It showed the issues of democracy, the abuse of autocracy and the misuse of power by our colleagues was wrong and dangerous.”
Pearson added, “She gave one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard her give.”
More than one year later, Pearson is returning the favor to Harris as he travels the country as a surrogate for her historic presidential campaign. Jones is also a surrogate for the campaign.
“She came and fought for us in Tennessee, and so I’m happy to go fight for her,” Pearson declared.
Now a national figure, Pearson has traveled to battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina, as well states throughout the South like Virginia and Florida. The 29-year-old state representative has been engaging with voters — particularly young Black voters — about Harris’ policies and what’s at stake in this year’s Nov. 5 election in just five weeks.
“The energy is just palpable,” Pearson said of the overall sentiment on the ground. “I think there’s a high expectation for VP Harris to deliver on the things that she’s articulated, whether it be helping out first-time homebuyers, [or] allowing small business owners to give more resources and capital.”
However, polling indicates that among young voters of color, there is still a lag in support and enthusiasm. Though Harris leads Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, among voters under 35 (52% to 40%, according to a recent CNN survey), it still lags behind President Joe Biden’s support in 2020.
Pearson acknowledged the “challenge” with young voters of color wanting to engage in the political process out of frustration.
“You don’t know if it is going to actually benefit you,” he said of young Americans this election cycle.
But Pearson argues that the sentiment of apathy is largely driven by actions by Republican leaders like Trump and others on the state level.
“We had an administration that led to the death of a million people by mismanaging COVID-19,” he said, referencing Trump’s presidency during the pandemic.
“We’ve seen politics at the state level expelling lawmakers and banning them instead of banning assault rifles,” he continued. “We’ve seen at the even more local level books being banned instead of more resources going to kids to learn.”
By contrast, Rep. Pearson said Vice President Harris’ campaign is addressing the issues most important to young people and Black and brown communities. That is why he is determined to get out the vote in as many communities as possible.
“This campaign is going to be won and lost by who’s able to knock on those doors, who was able to make those phone calls, who’s able to get people to get out the vote,” he explained.
Turning out the vote for Harris will come down to highlighting her economic agenda and her commitment to addressing national issues like gun violence. With only weeks left in the election, he says Harris’ candidacy has “enlivened” voters who “may not have otherwise been interested” in politics or government.
“The vision that she has and that she’s sharing is one that is more relevant to younger voters in a way that we hadn’t seen in this campaign, and definitely don’t see in Donald’s campaign,” Pearson argued.
The economy is a top issue for voters, and it is especially concerning for young voters who are struggling to afford the cost of living.
“Folks aren’t having kids … you’re worried about what the consequences of the rising greed-flation is going to have in your life,” said Pearson. He added, “Or student loan debt … You can’t make necessary moves if you get $150,000 worth of debt.”
The Tennessee lawmaker highlighted Vice President Harris’ work with President Biden to cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt so that Americans can “ascertain their dreams … in a way that’s helpful and not hurtful by giving money to billionaires.”
Harris also unveiled economic plans to extend the child tax credit up to $6,000 for new parents, provide $25,000 in assistance for first-time home buyers and issue up to $50,000 in tax deductions for small business startups. She also vowed to go after corporations for price gouging.
“We need somebody who’s going to show up and give the best of their effort on behalf of the entire country, and not just the privileged few,” Pearson said of Harris and her advocacy and leadership.
Reflecting again on the day Harris traveled nearly 700 miles from the nation’s capital to Nashville, Tennessee, Pearson added, “And so she came and fought for us, and now I’m out fighting for her.”
“Because the cult following of Donald Trump, they’re going to show up,” he added. “We have to make sure that our side shows up.”