Center for Politics and Race in America to Host Conversation With Gun Control Advocate and Tennessee Rep. Justin Pearson

The Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America at Rutgers-Newark will host a November 14 conversation on politics, racism, and Gen Z with Tennessee Representative Justin J. Pearson, who gained national attention when he was expelled by state Republicans for protesting their inaction following a school mass shooting in 2023.    

                                                                                                         The event will be held at 6 p.m.at Rutgers-Newark's  Center for Law and Justice, Classroom 090 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. 

“Representative Pearson’s advocacy on issues like gun control and climate change speaks to some of the most urgent concerns of our time, sparking a powerful wave of youth activism across the nation,’’ said center director James Jones. 

Pearson is the inaugural guest of the center’s  Distinguished Speaker series, established to educate students, faculty, staff, and New Jersey residents on American politics and promote greater political awareness and engagement.

“These dialogues are vital for addressing the critical challenges facing our democracy—from miseducation to misinformation—and for inspiring renewed civic participation, especially among young people eager to shape our collective future,’’ said Jones.

About Rep. Justin J. Pearson

Pearson was elected State Representative for District 86 in Memphis, Tennessee in January of 2023. Tennessee Republicans soon after expelled him as one of the Tennessee Three following his response to a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people. Voters quickly reelected Pearson with 94 percent of the vote. Known for his oratory gifts, Pearson is a champion of democracy, who organizes, mobilizes and activates people power. He co-founded Memphis Community Against Pollution in 2020, an environmental and climate justice nonprofit that defeated Big Oil and the Byhalia pipeline, a multibillion dollar project that threatened the Memphis Sand aquifer.

 
About the Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America

The Sheila Y. Oliver Center for Politics and Race in America, established in 2023 at Rutgers-Newark, examines the intersection of race and politics through research, data, and collaboration. As a non-partisan fact tank, the Center leverages multidisciplinary expertise to produce high-quality data and analysis on the connections between race and political attitudes, beliefs, practices, contexts, and structures. Its mission includes advancing diversity in public service careers and providing advanced training in data analysis. Renamed in 2024 to honor the late Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver, the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New Jersey, the Center serves as a vital resource for understanding race in America’s political landscape.