Key takeaways:
- Tennessee has been facing increasing political and racial tensions, culminating in the expulsion of two Black Democrats from the state Assembly.
- Republicans have been taking steps to reduce the representation of Democrats in the state, including redrawing maps and increasing the number of districts that represent Republicans.
- The expulsion of the two Black Democrats has been widely condemned, and President Joe Biden called it “racist and political.”
Tennessee has been facing increasing political and racial tensions in recent weeks, culminating in the unprecedented expulsion of two Black Democrats from the state Assembly last week. In response, Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones called on state House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) to resign hours after the Nashville Metro Council voted to reappoint him to the state House on Monday, with a 36–0 vote.
Politics watchers in Tennessee and around the nation say that the process Republicans have taken to minimize the representation of Democrats — on both the federal and state levels — has been years in the making. This includes redrawing maps to effectively curtail the number of districts that represent Democrats, including some of the most diverse districts in the state, and increasing the number of districts that represent Republicans.
The expulsion of the two Black Democrats from the state Assembly has been widely condemned by Democrats across the country, including President Joe Biden, who called it “racist and political.” Jones has vowed to continue to show up in the legislature and call for Sexton’s resignation.
The tensions in Tennessee have been escalating for some time, and it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved. It is clear, however, that the state’s Republican lawmakers have been taking steps to reduce the representation of Democrats in the state, and the recent expulsion of two Black Democrats has only further highlighted the issue.
Be First to Comment