Apr 10

Apr 10 Standing with Nashville

Chicago, Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

Last week, the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel freshman members Justin Jones and Justin Pearson for what the Republicans considered to be a lack of decorum during a protest in the legislative chamber that sought gun reform, following a mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville. Both Jones and Pearson are Black. The Republicans, in their infinite wisdom, spared the last member of the “Tennessee Three,” Representative Gloria Johnson, from expulsion. She is White.

No one need be a rocket scientist to figure out the implications. The Republicans had just “spoken” the silent part out loud—screamed is probably the more appropriate phrasing. Their racism may not be a surprise given that the Ku Klux Klan can trace its origins to Pulaski, Tennessee (December 24, 1865).

More politically sinful, the Republicans had committed a strategic blunder. Support surged across the nation for the “two Justins.” This should come as no surprise. As they defended themselves, both proved to be highly charismatic and thoughtful figures. Rather than banish them from politics, the Republicans thrust the two Justins onto the national stage. No doubt both will be in demand at rallies around the country in the coming days. I expect both will be in the U.S. House or Senate in the years to come. Expect to see them at the podium during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Today, Nashville’s City Council returned Justin Jones to the Tennessee House. The tally was 36 to zero. Latter this week, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will likely reappoint Justin Pearson to his former position.

To show Chicago’s support for the two Justins, Indivisible Chicago staged a demonstration at Chicago’s Federal Plaza at 5:30 PM today. Between 50 and 75 people attended, together with several television crews.

I must voice my usual complaint: The organizers had a hot issue. People would love the opportunity to take a public stand. Given how incendiary the expulsion was, the organizers should have waited until Saturday or Sunday to stage the demonstration. I have long contended that low turnout is detrimental to any cause. The news media shows up, creating visuals that suggest that nobody cares about the issue de jour.

By waiting, the organizers could have used Facebook, ProtestChicago.com, LoopChicago.com, and other avenues to get the word out. They could have partnered with the Chicago division of March for Our Lives and the group from Highland Park known as March Fourth—they have been doing a lot of lobbying in Washington, D.C. And Indivisible Chicago could have leafletted at Depaul, Loyola and Northwestern Universities, as well as Columbia College and the School of the Art Institute.

Had they deferred the event just a couple days, they might have enlisted Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson as a speaker, which would have brought out the crowds. The organizers could also have enlisted one or more of Illinois’ members of the U.S. House and Senate delegations. Maybe Governor Pritzker would have shown up.

One demonstrator, in commenting on the lackluster attendance, also noted the problem with the Loop location. According to him, in bygone days, the organizers would have attracted curious workers at the end of the workday, but Mondays in the post-Covid era are typically work-from-home, so there just wasn’t a high level of pedestrian traffic. But tourists are back—I would argue that holding the rally in Millenium Park or Jane Byrne Park (site of the Chicago Water Tower) would draw more people.

Having voiced my concern, I do give the organizers credit on a number of fronts. First, they assembled an excellent group of speakers, including State Senators Robert Peters and Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Brenda Mitchell, the co-leader of Moms Demand Action Illinois, State Representative La Shawn Ford, Bishop Tavis Grant with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and Frank Chapman, the Educational Director and Field Organizer at the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

I always enjoy 80-year old Chapman, who exudes intensity. He was convicted of murder in 1961, and sentenced to 50 years in the Missouri State Penitentiary. While imprisoned, Chapman studied law and the civil rights movement. He became an advocate for desegregating prisons. Chapman was paroled in 1976, and since then has been active in the ongoing struggle for civil rights.

I have now seen Bishop Grant on several occasions. He is currently Acting National Executive Director of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, as well as the Senior Pastor of the Greater First Baptist Church in East Chicago, Indiana. I obviously have no insight into the internal politics of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, but I will not be surprised if Grant assumes the leadership position when Jesse Jackson leaves the scene. Grant is a highly dynamic and charismatic speaker.

As for the substance of all the speeches, pretty much what I expected: outrage over what happened in Nashville; linkage to Chicago’s gun violence; and criticism of the Republican Party’s anti-democratic playbook. Brenda Mitchell brought her personal loss to the proceedings, talking about her son who died as a result of gun violence.

As for Indivisible Chicago, I look forward to following their efforts to curb gun violence in Chicago, as well as attending their marches and demonstrations. They certainly did one small, but important thing right. Most organizers don’t provide a “News Release/Press Information” kit the for members of the media who show up at demonstrations. Indivisible Chicago did, and it included a list of the speakers. It saved me a lot of time.

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