Activist and Tennessee Rep. Justin Pearson Urges Students to Pursue Political Leadership

Tennessee Representative Justin J. Pearson, who gained national attention last year when he was expelled by state Republicans for protesting in the wake of a school mass shooting, spoke to Rutgers-Newark students about the power of political involvement last month.

Pearson visited Honors Living-Learning Community (HLLC) students, sharing stories of his career as a politician and encouraging them to organize and become government leaders at a young age.

“Some of ya’ll need to run for office,’’ suggested Pearson. ”You need to be in a position of power.’’

Pearson, who represents Memphis, became known for his impassioned speech in protest of senate Republicans’ response to a mass school shooting in Nashville that killed six people. State Republicans expelled him for his breach of decorum but voters reelected him a week later.

He has also fought for environmental and climate justice, helping to defeat a multimillion dollar oil pipeline that threatened local water supplies. 

In addition to his conversation with HLLC students, Pearson met with student government leaders and spoke at an evening event focused on politics, racism, and Gen Z. His visit was hosted by the The Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America.

Students questioned Pearson, who is 29, about how to succeed as a young person in a landscape filled with politicians much older than themselves.

Alvaro Juarez Cullanco, an immigrant from Peru, said young people in his homeland faced similar challenges as they do in the U.S.

“They’re not taken seriously because they’re young. What advice can you give to young people who want to start change to be taken seriously?’’ he asked.

Pearson advised students to find older mentors and learn as much as they can before seeking a place in government. “You must talk to people who are doing the thing you want to do so that you don’t make missteps,’’ he said. 

He also encouraged them to mobilize in groups and show up at government  meetings and rallies. Politicians take note if constituents are making themselves seen and heard and are more likely to take action, Pearson explained.

When Pearson protested his Senate colleagues' unwillingness to tighten gun restrictions, citizens rallying outside gave him the  courage to protest on the Senate floor, he said. Republicans who voted to expel him said it was because he was breaking Senate rules.
 
“At the time, 16 people were marching around saying do something,” he recounted. “If no one showed up that day, it wouldn’t have pushed me to go to the well of the house floor. Sometimes you have to do things that are antithetical to the norm.’’ 

Ferdousi Begum asked how politicians could continue to represent the public without compromising their morals, a question that was echoed by other students during Pearson’s visit.

 “I don’t believe in compromise the way it’s been told to us politically,’’ he said. “It typically means political expediency on the backs of the people. I seek common ground.’’

He mentioned a conservative Republican senator who clashed with him on many issues but, like Pearson, was concerned about the environment. They were able to work together to fight pollution. “I didn’t have to compromise anything and neither did he,’’ Pearson said.

He added, “Trust yourself to know that you will know the difference between good and bad. You have seen good people and you have seen bad people. Lean into what you know to be true. The way you think about problems and solutions is different from someone who is ill-intentioned or ill-willed.’’

Pearson believes those who have experienced the most injustice are best equipped to end it. That’s why the South has been at the center of the Civil Rights movement, he said.

“The person dealing with injustice is the one most likely to come up with a way to solve the problems,’’ he said. “The south is a place where the injustices of our society are all forced on people of color. The progress that America will see is happening in the places where people have been most deprived.’’